cocer
“cocer” means “to boil” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to boil, to cook
Also: to bake
📝 In Action
Tienes que cocer las patatas durante veinte minutos.
A1You have to boil the potatoes for twenty minutes.
Cuezo el arroz con un poco de sal.
A2I cook the rice with a bit of salt.
La alfarera está cociendo las vasijas de barro en el horno.
B2The potter is firing the clay pots in the kiln.
to brew
📝 In Action
Algo se está cociendo en esa oficina.
C1Something is brewing in that office.
Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Indicative
Preterite
Imperfect
Present
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cocer
Question 1 of 3
Which form is the correct 'yo' (I) form in the present tense?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
From the Latin word 'coquere', which also meant to cook or to ripen.
First recorded: 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is cocer the same as hervir?
Not exactly. 'Hervir' specifically means to reach the boiling point, whereas 'cocer' means to cook the food using that boiling water.
Why is it 'cuezo' instead of 'cueco'?
In Spanish, a 'c' before an 'o' makes a hard 'k' sound. To keep the soft sound of the word 'cocer', we change the 'c' to 'z' when it's followed by an 'o'.
Can I use 'cocer' for baking a cake?
While 'cocer' is technically used for things in an oven (like bread), most people use 'hornear' specifically for cakes and cookies.