Όταν βρέχει, βάζω την κουκούλα μου.

Όταν means when.

In this sentence, Όταν βρέχει means when it rains.
It introduces a time clause: it tells you under what circumstances the action happens.

So the sentence structure is:

• Όταν βρέχει = when it rains
• βάζω την κουκούλα μου = I put on / pull up my hood

In Greek, weather verbs often do not need a subject like English it.

So:

• βρέχει = it rains / it is raining

The verb is in the 3rd person singular, but Greek does not add a separate dummy subject like English it.

This is very normal in Greek:

• βρέχει = it’s raining
• χιονίζει = it’s snowing

Because this sentence expresses a habitual or general action:

• When it rains, I put on my hood.

It is not talking about one single moment only. It means this is what the speaker usually does whenever it rains.

Greek often uses the present tense for these general truths or repeated actions, just like English does:

• Όταν βρέχει, βάζω την κουκούλα μου.
• When it rains, I put on my hood.

If you were talking about a specific future event, Greek would usually be phrased differently.

Βάζω basically means I put.

But in this sentence, it means something more natural in English like:

• I put on my hood
• I pull up my hood

Greek often uses βάζω in situations where English uses put on.

So here:

• βάζω την κουκούλα μου = I put on / pull up my hood

Greek very often uses the definite article even with possessive expressions.

So:

• την κουκούλα μου = my hood

Literally, Greek says something like the hood of mine, although you should understand it simply as my hood.

This is one of the big differences from English. In Greek, the article is usually not omitted here.

Because κουκούλα is:

• feminine
• singular
• direct object of the verb

So it takes the accusative singular feminine article:

• η κουκούλα = the hood, as subject
• την κουκούλα = the hood, as object

Since βάζω takes a direct object, you need the accusative:

• βάζω την κουκούλα μου

Μου here means my, but grammatically it is a weak possessive pronoun that normally comes after the noun.

So:

• η κουκούλα μου = my hood
• την κουκούλα μου = my hood, as object

This word order is the normal Greek pattern:

• article + noun + possessive pronoun

Examples:

• το βιβλίο μου = my book
• η τσάντα μου = my bag
• τον φίλο μου = my friend

Not exactly in the most natural way.

Βάζω την κουκούλα μου focuses on the action of putting it on / pulling it up.

English I wear my hood sounds more like describing a state. A better match for this Greek sentence is:

• I put on my hood
• I pull up my hood

If you wanted to emphasize wearing something in Greek, the verb φοράω is often used for clothes and accessories. But with a hood, βάζω την κουκούλα μου is very natural because it suggests the action of putting it up.

The comma separates the introductory time clause from the main clause:

• Όταν βρέχει, = when it rains,
• βάζω την κουκούλα μου. = I put on my hood.

This is similar to English, where we also commonly write:

• When it rains, I put on my hood.

So the comma helps show the two parts of the sentence clearly.

Yes, Greek word order is more flexible than English, but the original sentence is the most neutral and natural:

• Όταν βρέχει, βάζω την κουκούλα μου.

You could rearrange parts for emphasis, but that would change the focus a bit. For example:

• Την κουκούλα μου βάζω όταν βρέχει.

This is possible, but it sounds more marked, as if you are emphasizing my hood.

For a learner, the original order is the best one to use.

A simple pronunciation guide is:

• Όταν = O-tan
• βρέχει = VRE-hi or VRE-çi depending on how detailed you want to be
• βάζω = VA-zo
• την = tin
• κουκούλα = koo-KOO-la
• μου = moo

Very roughly:

O-tan VRE-hi, VA-zo tin koo-KOO-la moo.

The stressed syllables are shown in capital letters. Greek spelling marks stress with an accent, so the written accents help you know where to stress the word.

In this sentence, yes, κουκούλα means hood.

Depending on context, κουκούλα can also refer to other hood-like coverings, but here the natural meaning is the hood of a coat or jacket.

So in this sentence, understand it as:

• hood
• more specifically, the hood I put up when it rains

Sometimes Greek can leave out possessive words if the meaning is obvious from context, but in a sentence like this, την κουκούλα μου is the normal and clear way to say my hood.

If you say only:

• βάζω την κουκούλα

it sounds more like I put on the hood, without clearly showing whose hood it is.

So for a learner, keep μου here.