Word
Πρώτα έβαλα αντισηπτικό στην πληγή και μετά λίγο βαμβάκι.
Meaning
First I put antiseptic on the wound and then a little cotton.
Part of speech
sentence
Pronunciation
Course
Lesson
Questions & Answers about Πρώτα έβαλα αντισηπτικό στην πληγή και μετά λίγο βαμβάκι.
Why is έβαλα used here? What tense is it?
Έβαλα is the aorist form of βάζω, and here it means I put / I applied.
In this sentence, the speaker is describing a completed sequence of actions:
- Πρώτα έβαλα αντισηπτικό... = First I put/applied antiseptic...
- και μετά λίγο βαμβάκι. = and then a little cotton.
So έβαλα is used because the action is viewed as a single completed event in the past, not as something ongoing or repeated.
What is the basic meaning of βάζω? Does it only mean put?
No. Βάζω is a very common Greek verb with a broad meaning range, much like put in English.
Depending on context, it can mean things like:
- put
- place
- apply
- add
- insert
- set on
In this sentence, έβαλα αντισηπτικό is most naturally understood as I applied antiseptic, even though the literal core idea is still I put antiseptic.
Why is αντισηπτικό used without ένα or το?