cocina
“cocina” means “kitchen” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
kitchen
Also: cuisine, stove
📝 In Action
Mi madre está en la cocina.
A1My mother is in the kitchen.
La cocina peruana es mi favorita.
A2Peruvian cuisine is my favorite.
Ten cuidado, la cocina está caliente.
B1Be careful, the stove is hot.
he cooks / she cooks / it cooks
Also: you cook, cook!
📝 In Action
Mi hermano cocina paella los domingos.
A1My brother cooks paella on Sundays.
Disculpe, ¿usted cocina con sal?
A2Excuse me, do you (formal) cook with salt?
¡Cocina tú la cena esta noche, por favor!
A2You cook dinner tonight, please!
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: cocina
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'cocina' to mean the room where you cook?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'coquīna', which meant 'kitchen'. This itself came from the verb 'coquere', meaning 'to cook'. You can see the family resemblance in English words like 'cook' and 'cuisine'!
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell if 'cocina' means 'kitchen' or 'he cooks'?
Look for clues in the sentence! If you see 'la' or 'una' before it (like 'la cocina'), it means 'the kitchen' or 'a kitchen'. If it follows a person's name or a word like 'él' or 'ella' (like 'Juan cocina'), it means 'he cooks'.
What's the difference between 'cocina' and 'estufa' for a stove?
It often depends on where you are. In Spain, 'cocina' can mean the stove. In much of Latin America, people are more likely to say 'estufa' for the stove and only use 'cocina' for the kitchen itself. Both are understood in most places.