Έχοντας βάλει σπρέι, καθίσαμε στον κήπο χωρίς να μας ενοχλούν τα κουνούπια.

It is a participial phrase meaning something like having put on / after putting on.

• έχοντας = the participle of έχω (having)
• βάλει = the perfective non-past stem form of βάζω used here after έχοντας

Together, έχοντας βάλει expresses an action that happened before the main action:

• first, they put on the spray
• then, they sat in the garden

So it works a lot like English having done... or after doing....

Both are possible, but they sound a bit different.

• Έχοντας βάλει σπρέι... = Having put on spray...
• Αφού βάλαμε σπρέι... = After we put on spray...

The version with έχοντας is a bit more compact and written-style, though it is also common in speech. It links the two actions smoothly.

A learner should notice that Greek often uses this structure where English might prefer:

• after putting on spray
• having put on spray

Because the sentence is talking about a completed action before another action.

Compare:

• βάζοντας = putting / while putting → ongoing or simultaneous
• έχοντας βάλει = having put → completed before the next action

So:

• Βάζοντας σπρέι, καθίσαμε... would suggest something more like while putting on spray
• Έχοντας βάλει σπρέι, καθίσαμε... clearly means after we had already put it on

This is mainly an aspect difference.

Καθίσαμε is the aorist of κάθομαι / κάθισα, and here it presents the action as a whole completed event:

• καθίσαμε = we sat down / we sat

Greek uses the aorist very naturally for a single completed action in a narrative sequence:

1. Έχοντας βάλει σπρέι
2. καθίσαμε στον κήπο

It moves the story forward. An imperfect form like καθόμασταν would mean something more like we were sitting, focusing on duration rather than the event itself.

σπρέι is a loanword from English (spray) and is usually treated as an indeclinable noun in everyday Greek. That means its form typically stays the same.

Here it refers to mosquito spray / insect repellent spray.

So:

• βάζω σπρέι = I put on spray
• έβαλα σπρέι = I put on spray
• είχα σπρέι = I had spray

The word itself does not usually change ending.

Because στον is the normal contraction of:

• σε + τον = στον

So:

• στον κήπο = in the garden / into the garden / at the garden, depending on context

This contraction is standard and very common:

• στη(ν) = σε + τη(ν)
• στο = σε + το
• στους = σε + τους

A learner should get used to seeing these contracted forms all the time.

In Greek, when χωρίς is followed by a verb clause, it normally takes να:

• χωρίς να μας ενοχλούν τα κουνούπια

This means without the mosquitoes bothering us or without the mosquitoes bothering us at all.

Compare:

• χωρίς σπρέι = without spray
  (noun after χωρίς)

• χωρίς να μας ενοχλούν τα κουνούπια = without the mosquitoes bothering us
  (verb clause after χωρίς)

So να is required because a full verbal idea follows.

After χωρίς να, Greek can use either imperfective or perfective aspect depending on the meaning.

Here, ενοχλούν is imperfective, and that fits well because the sentence refers to an ongoing situation:

• the mosquitoes were not bothering us
• that is, there was no repeated or continuing annoyance

If you used ενοχλήσουν, that would sound more like a single complete event:

• without the mosquitoes bothering us even once / without them managing to bother us

In this sentence, ενοχλούν is the more natural choice because mosquito annoyance is understood as a continuing or repeated action.

Yes. After να, Greek uses what is traditionally called the subjunctive.

So in:

• χωρίς να μας ενοχλούν τα κουνούπια

the form ενοχλούν is the present/imperfective subjunctive form. In modern Greek, this often looks identical to the present indicative, but the presence of να tells you it is functioning as a subjunctive.

So the key signal is not a special ending, but the particle να.

μας here means us. It is the weak object pronoun.

• να μας ενοχλούν = to bother us

Greek object pronouns usually come before the verb:

• με ενοχλεί = it bothers me
• μας ενοχλούν = they bother us

So although English says bother us, Greek says literally something closer to us bother in terms of word order.

τα κουνούπια is the subject of ενοχλούν, and it is in the nominative.

• τα κουνούπια = the mosquitoes
• μας = us (object)
• ενοχλούν = bother

So the structure is:

• χωρίς να μας ενοχλούν τα κουνούπια
• literally: without the mosquitoes bothering us

Greek word order is more flexible than English. The subject can come after the verb, especially when the sentence flows better that way or when the speaker wants to focus first on the experience (us being left alone) and mention the subject (the mosquitoes) afterward.

In Greek, with a phrase like έχοντας βάλει..., the default assumption is that its subject is the same as the subject of the main verb, unless the context makes something else clear.

So here:

• Έχοντας βάλει σπρέι, καθίσαμε... means
• Having put on spray, we sat...

The understood subject of έχοντας βάλει is we, because the main verb καθίσαμε is we sat.

This is very similar to English:

• Having eaten, we left.

Yes, very naturally. For example:

• Αφού βάλαμε σπρέι, καθίσαμε στον κήπο χωρίς να μας ενοχλούν τα κουνούπια.
• Βάλαμε σπρέι και καθίσαμε στον κήπο χωρίς να μας ενοχλούν τα κουνούπια.

These are all grammatical, but the original sentence is a bit more compact and elegant.

The original version highlights the sequence neatly:

1. spray on
2. sit in the garden
3. no mosquito trouble

Yes, it is very normal Greek. Greek often uses βάζω in places where English might use:

• put on
• apply
• wear
• use

So:

• βάζω σπρέι = I put on spray / I apply spray
• βάζω αντηλιακό = I put on sunscreen
• βάζω άρωμα = I put on perfume

This is a useful everyday pattern: βάζω + product often means apply/use that product on the body.

A few useful things are packed into this one sentence:

1. Έχοντας + verb form can mean having done...

   • Έχοντας βάλει...

2. Greek uses aspect very carefully:

   • βάλει = completed action before the main event
   • ενοχλούν = ongoing/repeated action not happening

3. χωρίς να + verb is a very common pattern:

   • without doing / without someone doing

4. Object pronouns usually come before the verb:

   • μας ενοχλούν

5. Greek word order is flexible:

   • τα κουνούπια can appear after the verb

So this sentence is a great example of how Greek links actions and describes a result naturally.