En la Cocina: Preparando la Cena
Cooking at home · a free Spanish immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Primero, pela las zanahorias y córtalas en rodajas.
First, peel the carrots and cut them into slices.
Literal First, peel the carrots and cut-them in slices.
This sentence uses imperative commands typical in recipes: 'pela' (peel) and 'córtalas' (cut them), where 'las' refers back to the carrots.
- 'Pela' and 'córtalas' are tú imperative forms
- 'las' is a direct object pronoun replacing 'las zanahorias'
¿Cuánto tiempo necesitas para calentar el aceite?
How long do you need to heat the oil?
Literal How much time do-you-need to heat the oil?
A practical question using 'necesitar' (to need) in the present tense combined with the infinitive 'calentar' (to heat).
- 'necesitas' is present tense of 'necesitar'
- Verb + infinitive structure: necesitas + calentar
Añade la cebolla y sofríela a fuego lento.
Add the onion and sauté it over low heat.
Literal Add the onion and sauté-it at low fire.
'Sofríela' combines the imperative 'sofríe' with 'la' (it, referring to the onion). 'A fuego lento' is a common cooking expression for low heat.
- 'sofríela' = imperative 'sofríe' + direct object pronoun 'la'
- 'a fuego lento' = idiomatic expression for low heat
Me encantan las recetas de mi abuela porque son muy sabrosas.
I love my grandmother's recipes because they are very tasty.
Literal To-me enchant the recipes of my grandmother because they-are very tasty.
'Encantar' works like 'gustar' — the subject is the thing loved. 'Me encantan' is plural because 'las recetas' is the subject.
- 'encantar' uses indirect object pronoun: me encantan
- Verb agrees in number with las recetas (plural)
Si tuvieras tomates frescos, la salsa quedaría más rica.
If you had fresh tomatoes, the sauce would turn out tastier.
Literal If you-had fresh tomatoes, the sauce would-remain more tasty.
A conditional sentence using the imperfect subjunctive 'tuvieras' with the conditional 'quedaría', the classic si-clause structure.
- Si + imperfect subjunctive (tuvieras) + conditional (quedaría)
- 'quedar' used as a linking verb meaning 'to turn out'
Lávate las manos antes de empezar a cocinar.
Wash your hands before starting to cook.
Literal Wash-yourself the hands before to-start to cook.
'Lávate' is a reflexive imperative: 'lavar' (to wash) + 'te' (yourself). Reflexive verbs are common in daily self-directed routines.
- Reflexive imperative: lava + te → lávate (accent shifts)
- 'antes de' + infinitive = before doing something
¿Puedo usar mantequilla en lugar de aceite de oliva?
Can I use butter instead of olive oil?
Literal Can-I use butter in place of oil of olive?
A natural question about ingredient substitutions using 'poder' (can) and the phrase 'en lugar de' (instead of).
- 'puedo' = first-person present of 'poder'
- 'en lugar de' = instead of (prepositional phrase)
Estoy picando el ajo mientras el agua hierve.
I am chopping the garlic while the water boils.
Literal I-am chopping the garlic while the water boils.
Present progressive 'estoy picando' shows an ongoing action. 'Mientras' (while) introduces a simultaneous action happening at the same time.
- Present progressive: estar + gerund (picando)
- 'mientras' = while, used for simultaneous actions
Pon la pasta en el agua cuando empiece a hervir.
Put the pasta in the water when it starts to boil.
Literal Put the pasta in the water when it-starts to boil.
'Cuando' + present subjunctive 'empiece' is used for a future event not yet certain. 'Pon' is the irregular tú imperative of 'poner'.
- 'pon' = irregular tú imperative of 'poner'
- 'cuando' + subjunctive for future/uncertain timing
¡La sopa huele deliciosa! Ya casi está lista.
The soup smells delicious! It's almost ready now.
Literal The soup smells delicious! Already almost it-is ready.
'Oler' (to smell) is a stem-changing verb: o→hue (huele). 'Ya casi' is a natural spoken expression meaning 'just about' or 'nearly now'.
- 'oler' is stem-changing: o→hue (huele)
- 'ya casi' = almost / nearly (common in spoken Spanish)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
cocinar
to cook
Me gusta cocinar los domingos.
I like to cook on Sundays.
Regular -ar verb
la receta
recipe
Sigo la receta paso a paso.
I follow the recipe step by step.
picar
to chop / to mince
Pica el ajo muy fino.
Chop the garlic very finely.
Also means 'to sting' or 'to be spicy' in other contexts
el fuego
heat / fire / flame
Cocina a fuego medio.
Cook over medium heat.
agregar
to add
Agrega sal al gusto.
Add salt to taste.
Synonym: añadir
hervir
to boil
Deja hervir el caldo por diez minutos.
Let the broth boil for ten minutes.
Stem-changing: e→ie (hierve)
la sartén
frying pan / skillet
Calienta la sartén antes de añadir el aceite.
Heat the pan before adding the oil.
mezclar
to mix / to stir
Mezcla todos los ingredientes bien.
Mix all the ingredients well.
el ingrediente
ingredient
¿Tienes todos los ingredientes?
Do you have all the ingredients?
sabroso
tasty / delicious
Este arroz está muy sabroso.
This rice is very tasty.
Agrees in gender: sabroso (masc.) / sabrosa (fem.)
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Esta tarde, Lucía y su hermano deciden preparar una cena especial juntos. Primero, lavan las verduras y las cortan en trozos pequeños. Lucía sofríe el ajo y la cebolla en la sartén mientras su hermano hierve el agua para la pasta. Él le pregunta: '¿Añado la sal ahora?' y ella responde: 'Espera hasta que el agua empiece a hervir.' Cuando la pasta ya está lista, la mezclan con la salsa y la sirven caliente. Los dos se sientan a la mesa y disfrutan de una cena deliciosa hecha en casa.
Sentence by sentence
deciden preparar una cena especial juntos
they decide to prepare a special dinner together
'Decidir' + infinitive is a common structure. 'Juntos' (together) agrees in number with the plural subject.
las cortan en trozos pequeños
they cut them into small pieces
'Las' is a direct object pronoun replacing 'las verduras'. 'Cortar en trozos' means to cut into pieces.
Espera hasta que el agua empiece a hervir
Wait until the water starts to boil
'Hasta que' + subjunctive (empiece) is used because the event hasn't happened yet — a classic subjunctive trigger.
la mezclan con la salsa y la sirven caliente
they mix it with the sauce and serve it hot
Both 'la mezclan' and 'la sirven' use 'la' as a direct object pronoun for 'la pasta', showing pronoun reuse across clauses.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Imperative + Direct Object Pronoun
In Spanish recipes and cooking instructions, commands (imperatives) are combined with direct object pronouns attached to the end of the verb. This avoids repeating the noun and sounds natural. For tú commands, attach the pronoun directly and add an accent if needed to keep the original stress.
[Imperative verb] + [lo / la / los / las] → attach pronoun to end of verb
Pela las papas → Pélalas.
Peel the potatoes → Peel them.
Corta el pollo → Córtalo.
Cut the chicken → Cut it.
Sofríe la cebolla → Sofríela.
Sauté the onion → Sauté it.
Mezcla los huevos → Mézclalos.
Mix the eggs → Mix them.
Mini practice · 4
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Spanish: 'Cut them into slices.'
Hint Use the tú imperative of 'cortar' with the direct object pronoun for 'them.'
Añade la cebolla y _____ a fuego lento.
Hint Use the tú imperative of 'sofreír' with the direct object pronoun for 'it'.
Pon la pasta en el agua cuando empiece a hervir.
Which is the correct way to give this instruction: 'Heat it'?
That’s today’s phraseberry.
Nice work, you understood something real today. Come back tomorrow for a fresh one.
Make one about your own world
This is a ready-made capsule from our library. Sign up free to generate a daily Spanish capsule about any theme you choose, hear it spoken, and save the bits you want to keep.