Φοράω ποδιά όταν μαγειρεύω, για να μη λερώνομαι εύκολα.

Yes. Φοράω is the 1st person singular present form: I wear / I am wearing.

A learner should know that this verb has two common present-tense patterns:

• φοράω
• φορώ

Both are used, and both are correct in Modern Greek. In everyday speech, φοράω is very common and often sounds more natural in conversation. Φορώ can sound a bit shorter, sometimes slightly more formal or more written, depending on context.

So:

• Φοράω ποδιά = I wear an apron
• Φορώ ποδιά = same meaning

Greek often leaves out the article when talking about wearing something in a general, non-specific way.

So φοράω ποδιά means I wear an apron / I put on an apron, without focusing on which apron.

If you say:

• Φοράω μια ποδιά — you emphasize an apron / one apron
• Φοράω την ποδιά — you mean the apron, a specific one

In this sentence, the speaker is talking about a general habit, so no article sounds very natural.

Because the sentence describes a habitual action: something the speaker usually does whenever they cook.

In Greek, just like in English, the present tense can be used for repeated or regular actions:

• όταν μαγειρεύω = when I cook / whenever I cook

It does not have to mean only right now. It can also mean in general.

So this sentence is not about one single cooking event; it is about a regular pattern.

Όταν means when and introduces a time clause.

Here it connects the two ideas:

• Φοράω ποδιά — main clause
• όταν μαγειρεύω — time clause: when/whenever I cook

A useful point: with the present tense, όταν often gives a meaning like whenever in English, especially in habitual statements.

Για να introduces a purpose clause. It means in order to, so that, or simply to.

In this sentence:

• για να μη λερώνομαι εύκολα

this explains the purpose of wearing the apron.

A very important grammar point: after για να, Greek uses the subjunctive environment, not a plain indicative clause. That is why you do not use δεν for negation here.

Because after για να, Greek uses μη(ν) to negate the verb, not δεν.

Very roughly:

• δεν negates ordinary statements
• μη / μην negates subjunctive-style structures, commands, and certain dependent clauses

So:

• Δεν λερώνομαι = I do not get dirty
• για να μη λερώνομαι = so that I do not get dirty

Using δεν after για να would sound wrong.

Both μη and μην are forms of the same negative particle. In Modern Greek, the final -ν often depends on the sound that follows and on style/speech habits.

Here the next word is λερώνομαι, which begins with a consonant, so μη is very normal:

• για να μη λερώνομαι

You may also sometimes hear or see μην in various contexts, but μη is the expected form here.

Because λερώνομαι means I get dirty / I become dirty, while λερώνω means I dirty something / I make something dirty.

Compare:

• λερώνω το πουκάμισο = I dirty the shirt
• λερώνομαι = I get dirty

So in this sentence, the speaker is not saying so that I don’t dirty something else. They mean so that I don’t get dirty myself.

This is a very common Greek pattern where the -ομαι form expresses something happening to the subject, often similar to English get + adjective/past participle.

This is an aspect question, and it is a very good one.

After για να, Greek can use either:

• imperfective subjunctive-like form: λερώνομαι
• perfective subjunctive-like form: λερωθώ

The difference is about aspect, not basic meaning.

Here:

• για να μη λερώνομαι εύκολα suggests avoiding getting dirty as a general, repeated possibility during the activity
• για να μη λερωθώ would sound more like avoiding getting dirty as a single whole event/result

Because the sentence is about a habit and includes εύκολα, the imperfective λερώνομαι sounds very natural.

So this choice fits the idea of whenever I cook, I wear an apron so I don’t keep getting dirty easily.

Εύκολα is an adverb meaning easily. It modifies λερώνομαι.

So the idea is not just so that I don’t get dirty, but so that I don’t get dirty easily.

In other words, the apron helps reduce how easily or how readily that happens.

Greek often places adverbs after the verb, and that placement is completely natural here:

• να μη λερώνομαι εύκολα

Yes, it is very natural and standard here.

The comma separates:

• the main statement: Φοράω ποδιά όταν μαγειρεύω
• the purpose clause: για να μη λερώνομαι εύκολα

In practice, Greek punctuation with clauses is often a bit more flexible than learners expect, but in this sentence the comma is normal and helpful.

Most naturally, it talks about a habit.

Several things point to that:

• φοράω in the present can express habitual action
• όταν μαγειρεύω means when/whenever I cook
• the whole sentence describes a regular reason for doing something

So the most natural reading is:

• Whenever I cook, I wear an apron so I don’t get dirty easily.

Greek present tense very often works this way in general statements.