Όταν βρέχει, φτιάχνω παζλ με την ανιψιά μου στο σαλόνι.

When it rains, I do a puzzle with my niece in the living room.

Breakdown of Όταν βρέχει, φτιάχνω παζλ με την ανιψιά μου στο σαλόνι.

• μου: my
• με: with
• σε: in
• όταν: when

Questions & Answers about Όταν βρέχει, φτιάχνω παζλ με την ανιψιά μου στο σαλόνι.

Why does Greek use βρέχει without any word for it?

Because Greek does not need a dummy subject like English it in weather expressions.

So:

βρέχει = it is raining / it rains

The verb is in the 3rd person singular, but Greek simply leaves the subject unstated. This is very normal with weather verbs.

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What does Όταν mean here? Is it when or whenever?

It can be understood as either when or whenever, depending on context.

In this sentence, the most natural sense is often whenever it rains, because the whole sentence sounds like a habit:

Όταν βρέχει, φτιάχνω παζλ...
= Whenever it rains, I do puzzles...

But Greek όταν can also mean when in a more specific situation. Context tells you which meaning is intended.

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Is βρέχει the same as it rains or it is raining?

It can mean both.

The Greek present tense often covers both:

• simple present: it rains
• present continuous: it is raining

So βρέχει can mean: