cocinar
/koh-see-nar/
to cook
Cocinar literally means 'to cook' food, like this chef preparing a meal.
📝 In Action
Mi abuela siempre cocina la cena los domingos.
A1My grandmother always cooks dinner on Sundays.
¿Qué vas a cocinar hoy? Tengo mucha hambre.
A1What are you going to cook today? I'm very hungry.
Ella está cocinando un pastel de manzana en el horno.
A2She is baking an apple pie in the oven.
💡 Grammar Points
Regular -AR Verb
This is a simple, regular verb. You can use the standard endings for all '-ar' verbs, which makes conjugating it very predictable.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'Cocinar' and 'Hacer'
Mistake: "Hacer la comida (literally 'to make the food')."
Correction: While 'hacer' (to do/make) is sometimes used, 'cocinar' is much more specific and natural when talking about the act of cooking: 'Voy a cocinar la cena.'
⭐ Usage Tips
The Person Who Cooks
The person who cooks is called el/la cocinero/a (the cook or chef). If you cook, you are a cocinero!
In a figurative sense, cocinar can also mean 'to concoct' or fabricate a story or excuse.
cocinar(verb)
to concoct
?to create a story or excuse
,to arrange
?to fix a business deal
to fix up
?to prepare a solution
📝 In Action
Tuvieron que cocinar una excusa creíble para el jefe.
B1They had to concoct a believable excuse for the boss.
El director cocinó los números para que parecieran mejores.
B2The director cooked the books (falsified the numbers) so they would look better.
Están cocinando un plan para fusionar las dos empresas.
B2They are arranging a plan to merge the two companies.
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
When used in this sense, 'cocinar' implies detailed, often secretive, preparation, much like 'cooking up' a scheme in English.
⭐ Usage Tips
Cooking the Books
Just like in English, 'cocinar' followed by 'los números' (the numbers) means to falsify financial records.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: cocinar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'cocinar' in its figurative sense (meaning to scheme or arrange)?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Se puede usar 'cocinar' para hornear (to bake)?
Yes, 'cocinar' is a general term and can include baking, frying, boiling, etc. However, if you want to be specific, you can use 'hornear' (to bake) or 'freír' (to fry).
Is 'cocinar' reflexive (like 'cocinarse')?
It can be! If you say 'Me cociné una sopa' (I cooked myself a soup), it means you prepared food specifically for yourself. It is not common, but perfectly correct.