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A person wearing an apron stirring a large pot on a stove with steam rising.

cocinando

ko-see-NAHN-doh

verbA1regular ar
cooking?describing the act of preparing food currently in progress
Also:while cooking?referring to an action done at the same time as food preparation

Quick Reference

gerundcocinando
past Participlecocinado
infinitivecocinar

📝 In Action

Estoy cocinando la cena ahora mismo.

A1

I am cooking dinner right now.

¿Qué estás cocinando? Huele muy bien.

A1

What are you cooking? It smells very good.

Me gusta escuchar música cocinando.

A2

I like to listen to music while cooking.

Llevamos tres horas cocinando para la fiesta.

B1

We have been cooking for three hours for the party.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • estar cocinando – to be cooking
  • seguir cocinando – to keep on cooking
  • llevar tiempo cocinando – to have been cooking for a while

Idioms & Expressions

  • se está cocinando algo – something is being planned or brewed (often secretly)

💡 Grammar Points

The Gerund (the '-ing' form)

In Spanish, words ending in '-ando' work like English words ending in '-ing'. Use 'cocinando' when you want to show that the cooking is happening right now.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Don't use it as a noun

Mistake: "Cocinando es mi pasión."

Correction: Cocinar es mi pasión. (In Spanish, use the basic -ar form of the verb when you want to use the action as a noun.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Pairing with 'Estar'

To say 'I am cooking,' always use the verb 'estar' followed by 'cocinando' (Estoy cocinando).

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescocinaran
yococinara
túcocinaras
vosotroscocinarais
nosotroscocináramos
él/ella/ustedcocinara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescocinen
yococine
túcocines
vosotroscocinéis
nosotroscocinemos
él/ella/ustedcocine

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedescocinaron
yocociné
túcocinaste
vosotroscocinasteis
nosotroscocinamos
él/ella/ustedcocinó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedescocinaban
yococinaba
túcocinabas
vosotroscocinabais
nosotroscocinábamos
él/ella/ustedcocinaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedescocinan
yococino
túcocinas
vosotroscocináis
nosotroscocinamos
él/ella/ustedcocina
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: cocinando

Question 1 of 2

Which of these means 'She is cooking'?

📚 More Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'cocinando' ever change its ending to 'cocinanda'?

No. When used as a verb form to show action, 'cocinando' is always the same, regardless of who is doing the cooking or how many people there are.

What is the difference between 'cocino' and 'cocinando'?

'Cocino' means 'I cook' (a general habit), while 'cocinando' is used with 'estoy' to mean 'I am cooking' (right now).