Πρώτα έβαλα αντισηπτικό στην πληγή και μετά λίγο βαμβάκι.

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.

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.

Because αντισηπτικό here is being used as a mass noun, like water, medicine, or soap in English.

Greek often leaves out the article with substances or materials when speaking generally:

• έβαλα αντισηπτικό = I applied antiseptic
• ήπια νερό = I drank water
• αγόρασα ψωμί = I bought bread

Using ένα αντισηπτικό would usually sound like an antiseptic product/item, focusing more on it as a countable object. Here the meaning is simply the substance.

It is originally related to an adjective, but here it is being used as a noun.

Greek often does this: an adjective can stand on its own when the noun is understood.

So αντισηπτικό here means something like:

• antiseptic
• more fully, something like αντισηπτικό υγρό = antiseptic liquid

But in normal speech, just αντισηπτικό is completely natural.

Στην is the contraction of:

• σε
  • την → στην

So:

• στην πληγή = to/on the wound

In Modern Greek, σε + accusative is used very often for meanings that in English might be translated as in, on, at, or to, depending on context.

Here, στην πληγή means that the antiseptic was applied on/to the wound.

Πληγή is in the accusative singular after σε.

The dictionary form is:

• η πληγή = the wound

Its singular forms are:

• nominative: η πληγή
• accusative: την πληγή

After σε, Modern Greek normally uses the accusative:

• στην πληγή = σε την πληγή

So this is completely regular grammar.

Because Greek often leaves out a verb when it is easily understood from the previous part of the sentence.

So:

• Πρώτα έβαλα αντισηπτικό στην πληγή και μετά λίγο βαμβάκι.

literally works like:

• First I put antiseptic on the wound, and then a little cotton.

The second έβαλα is simply understood:

• και μετά έβαλα λίγο βαμβάκι

Greek does this kind of omission very naturally, just as English sometimes does.

Here λίγο means a little.

It is in the neuter singular form because it is modifying βαμβάκι, which is also neuter singular:

• το βαμβάκι = cotton

So:

• λίγο βαμβάκι = a little cotton

This is very common with uncountable nouns in Greek.

Compare:

• λίγο νερό = a little water
• λίγο ψωμί = a little bread
• λίγο βαμβάκι = a little cotton

Literally, βαμβάκι means cotton. But in this medical context, it is naturally understood as cotton wool / cotton pad / cotton used for treating a wound.

So even if the Greek word is just βαμβάκι, the practical meaning in English may be more specific depending on context.

They mark the order of actions:

• πρώτα = first
• μετά = then / afterwards

So the sentence is structured as a sequence:

1. Πρώτα έβαλα αντισηπτικό...
2. μετά λίγο βαμβάκι.

This is a very common and useful pattern in Greek for narrating steps or actions.

Yes, this word order is natural and conversational.

The full version with the second verb repeated would also be natural:

• Πρώτα έβαλα αντισηπτικό στην πληγή και μετά έβαλα λίγο βαμβάκι.

You could also hear slight variations such as:

• Έβαλα πρώτα αντισηπτικό στην πληγή και μετά λίγο βαμβάκι.

These versions all mean basically the same thing. The original sentence sounds efficient and natural in everyday speech.

In this context, the best English translation is usually on the wound.

However, Greek σε is broader than any one English preposition, so στην πληγή can correspond to different English choices depending on context.

Here the idea is that the antiseptic was applied to the wound area, so English normally says:

• on the wound
• sometimes to the wound

So this is a good example where Greek uses one structure and English chooses the most natural preposition for the situation.

Both are possible, but και μετά is very natural here.

• μετά = then / afterwards
• και μετά = and then

The και links the two parts smoothly:

• Πρώτα έβαλα αντισηπτικό... και μετά λίγο βαμβάκι.

It makes the sentence flow more naturally as a sequence of connected actions.