huyu no asa ha te ni kuriimu wo nurimasu.

の links two nouns together.

Here, 冬の朝 means winter morning(s) or mornings in winter.

So:

• 冬 = winter
• 朝 = morning
• 冬の朝 = winter morning / morning in winter

This is a very common pattern in Japanese:

• 日本の車 = Japanese car / car from Japan
• 学校の先生 = school teacher

In this sentence, 冬の朝 acts as one unit.

は marks the topic of the sentence.

So 冬の朝は means something like:

• As for winter mornings, ...
• On winter mornings, ...

It sets the scene and tells the listener what situation the sentence is about.

It can also give a slight contrastive feeling, depending on context, like:

• In winter mornings, I put cream on my hands
  (maybe because in other seasons I do something different)

So は here is not just about time; it is making winter mornings the topic.

With 塗る / ぬる (to apply, to spread), the thing being applied usually takes を, and the place/body part it is applied to often takes に.

So:

• クリームを = the cream is the thing being applied
• 手に = the hand(s) are the place it is applied to

That is why 手にクリームをぬります is natural:
apply cream to the hands

A useful pattern is:

[place/body part] に [substance] を ぬる

Examples:

• 顔に日焼け止めをぬる = apply sunscreen to the face
• 壁にペンキをぬる = paint the wall

Because クリーム is the direct object of ぬります.

It is the thing being spread/applied.

So:

• 手に = onto the hands
• クリームを = cream
• ぬります = apply/spread

In other words, Japanese is treating cream as the thing you are doing the action to.

ぬります is the polite non-past form of ぬる.

Japanese non-past can mean:

• present
• future
• habitual/repeated action

In this sentence, it most naturally sounds habitual:

• I put cream on my hands on winter mornings
• On winter mornings, I apply cream to my hands

So it is not usually understood as only right now. It often describes a routine or general habit.

Not necessarily every single winter morning in a strict mathematical sense, but it often gives that general impression.

Japanese frequently uses the non-past form with a time/topic phrase to describe:

• habits
• routines
• typical behavior

So the sentence suggests something like:

• I usually do this on winter mornings
• This is what I do on winter mornings

If someone wanted to be extra specific about every winter morning, they could add words like 毎 expressions, but this sentence already sounds like a general habit.

Japanese often leaves out the subject when it is clear from context.

So the sentence does not explicitly say:

• I
• you
• we
• people in general

The listener figures it out from the situation.

In isolation, English learners often interpret this kind of sentence as:

• I put cream on my hands on winter mornings or
• On winter mornings, one puts cream on one’s hands

In normal conversation, the intended subject would usually already be understood.

Time expressions in Japanese do not always need に.

Words like these often appear without に:

• 今日 = today
• 明日 = tomorrow
• 朝 = morning
• 冬 = winter

In this sentence, 冬の朝 is followed by は, because the whole phrase is being made the topic.

So instead of:

• 冬の朝に

you get:

• 冬の朝は

This is very natural.

Yes, that is grammatically possible, but the nuance is different.

• 冬の朝は = As for winter mornings... / makes it the topic
• 冬の朝に = simply marks the time: in/on winter mornings

Also, you can combine them:

• 冬の朝には手にクリームをぬります

That can sound like:

• On winter mornings, I do put cream on my hands
• with a bit of emphasis or contrast

So:

• は = topic / possible contrast
• に = time marker
• には = time marker + topic/contrast

Not necessarily.

Japanese often uses body-part nouns without clearly marking singular or plural.

So 手に can mean:

• on the hand
• on the hands

The exact meaning depends on context.

In English, we often naturally say hands here, because people usually apply cream to both hands.
In Japanese, using 手 is completely normal even when both hands are meant.

Not by itself.

クリーム just means cream. From context, since it is being put on the hands, the listener will probably understand it as hand cream or skin cream.

If you wanted to be more specific, you could say:

• ハンドクリーム = hand cream

So this sentence is natural as written, but it is a little more general than saying hand cream explicitly.

Yes, often you can, but the nuance is a little different.

• ぬる / ぬります = to spread/apply something onto a surface
• つける / つけます = to put on, attach, wear, apply in a broader sense

For cream:

• 手にクリームをぬります sounds very natural and emphasizes spreading it on.
• 手にクリームをつけます is also possible, but a bit more general.

So if you want the clearest verb for applying cream, ぬります is an excellent choice.

Not completely.

Japanese word order is more flexible than English because particles show each word’s role.

This sentence uses a very natural order:

冬の朝は 手に クリームを ぬります。

That is:

1. topic/time setting
2. target location
3. object
4. verb

The most important rule is that the verb usually comes at the end.

So other orders can be possible, but this one is very standard and easy to follow.