Do you know how to read una receta (a recipe) in Spanish and/or talk about the various actions one must perform to prepare una comida (a meal)? In order to help you do so, we've taken fifty of the most popular cooking verbs in English, then given you the equivalent Spanish term(s) for each, along with lots of examples from our Yabla Spanish library. Let's get started!
When talking about "adding" in an ingredient, there are various choices! While the first two mean "to add," the second two literally mean "to put" or "place" but are frequently seen in recipes to describe the same action:
Una vez sudado los ingredientes, le colocamos: salsa inglesa,
Once the ingredients are stewed, we add in: Worcestershire sauce,
Captions 50-51, Recetas de cocina Pabellón criollo
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El siguiente paso es batir ocho o nueve huevos.
The next step is to beat eight or nine eggs.
Captions 37-38, Clara cocina Una tortilla española
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And speaking of eggs, you have "to break" or "crack" them, which is described with the Spanish verb romper (to break):
Rompe los huevos contra una superficie plana.
Break the eggs on a flat surface.
Ahora llena una cazuela de agua y luego ponla a hervir.
Now, fill a pot with water, and then, bring it to a boil.
Captions 37-38, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
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There are many ways to describe the action of "blending" in Spanish. While the first four options we have listed are more likely to refer to simply "mixing thoroughly," batir and licuar tend to describe more vigorous actions and perhaps even some instrument like a una/a batidor/a (whisk) or licuadora (blender).
Todo esto vamos a llevar a licuar, a dar vueltas
All of this, we're going to blend, to spin around,
Caption 29, Mónica Batido
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y se hornea
and you bake it
Caption 78, Viajando con Fermín Restaurante La Viña - Part 2
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y vamos a asar dos tiempos la parte de la grasa
and we're going to barbecue the part with the fat two times
Caption 49, Osos en la cocina Carne asada
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Vamos a cortar en pedazos pequeños también la lechuga,
Let's also cut the lettuce into small pieces,
Caption 16, Ana Carolina Receta para una picada
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The verb cubrir might refer to covering something with una tapa (a cover/lid) or something else, like water:
Vamos a cubrirlo y vamos a subirle el fuego.
We're going to cover it, and we're going to increase the heat.
Caption 37, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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La papa es fácil de cocinar,
Potatoes are easy to cook,
Caption 14, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 3
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Luego, pones el papel encerado por encima y dejas que enfríe.
Then, you put the wax paper on top and you let it cool.
Captions 26-27, Manos a la obra Postres de Minecraft
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Picamos todo; todo se tiene que picar muy, muy pequeño.
We chop everything; everything has to be chopped very, very small.
Caption 13, Cleer y Lida Ají
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The Spanish word dados literally means "dice," as in the dice you play games with. Cortar en dados (literally "to cut in dice") is thus one of the ways to talk about the "dicing" action in Spanish:
Cortarlo en dados y freírlos hasta dorar.
Dice it, and fry them until browned.
Caption 50, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 5
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Although the verbs escurrir and colar can both mean "to drain," as in simply getting rid of excess liquid, they can also mean "to strain," as in running something through a colador (colander, sieve, etc.) to separate the solid from the liquid:
Ahora cuela los garbanzos con un colador. Escúrrelos bien.
Now, strain the chickpeas with a strainer. Drain them well.
Captions 40-41, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
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En la sartén, un poco de aceite y fríes la mezcla.
In the frying pan, a little bit of oil, and you fry the mixture.
Caption 35, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 1
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la volteamos y hacemos lo mismo y podemos ir volteándola hasta que esté totalmente cocinada.
we flip it, and we do the same thing, and we can keep flipping it until it's totally cooked.
Captions 34-35, Dany Arepas - Part 2
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Note that these words can also be used as equivalents of the English "to crush."
y después de eso procederemos a molerla.
and after that we will proceed to grind it.
Caption 51, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
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¿Qué, sos un queso pa' que te ralle?
What, are you some cheese for me to grate?
Caption 70, Muñeca Brava 39 Verdades - Part 10
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You might have noticed that the terms for "to grill" and "to barbecue" in Spanish are similar, and people often confuse these actions ("barbecuing" tends to describe cooking something for longer over a lower heat, and perhaps on an actual "barbecue"). Most of the time, context should let you know which meaning is intended.
Ahora vamos a asar las arepas.
Now we are going to grill the arepas.
Caption 31, Recetas de cocina Arepas colombianas
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Lo ponemos en la estufa... y lo vamos a calentar a un fuego medio o bajo.
We put it on the stove... and we're going to heat it over medium or low heat.
Caption 18, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 1
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Entonces, tenemos que amasarla bien.
Then, we have to knead it well.
Caption 66, Recetas de cocina Carimañolas
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es que, si cada persona en el cuarto enciende un fósforo al mismo tiempo,
is that, if every person in the room lights a match at the same time,
Captions 52-53, Eljuri Hablamos Con La Artista Sobre Su Nuevo Álbum
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Similarly, the verb encender can also mean "to turn on."
¿Y medís la grasa que tiene,
And you measure the fat that it has,
Caption 17, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 14
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eh, que sea grande y espacioso para poder mezclar.
um, which is large and spacious to be able to mix.
Caption 25, Dany Arepas - Part 1
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Ahora voy a cocinar en microondas las palomitas.
Now, I'm going to microwave the popcorn.
"Haz puré con un aplastador de papas" means "Mash with a potato masher." Now, let's look at a clip that describes the result of this action!
Ella va a hacer un puré de papa y yo voy a hacer la pechuga.
She is going to make some mashed potatoes, and I am going to make the chicken breast.
Caption 27, Misión Chef 2 - Pruebas - Part 7
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Derrítalo en agua caliente. Eh... derretirlo... eh...
Melt it in hot water. Um... melt it... um...
Captions 29-30, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 5: Ha nacido una estrella - Part 7
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Lo vamos a picar como en una crema.
We're going to mince it like in a cream.
Caption 77, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 2
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Lo dejamos marinar una hora en el refrigerador
We let it marinate for one hour in the refrigerator
Caption 9, Osos en la cocina Pollo asiático
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El primer paso es pelar las patatas,
The first step is to peel the potatoes,
Caption 23, Clara cocina Una tortilla española
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y vierte un poco de aceite.
and pour in a bit of oil.
Caption 55, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
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Take note that in addition to "grill" and "barbecue," the Spanish verb asar can also mean "to roast," or "cook in an oven or open fire." When talking about "roasting" coffee beans, nuts, or seeds, however, the verb tostar (literally "to toast") is commonly employed to describe the "roasting" action:
El café se tuesta entre doscientos y doscientos cincuenta grados centígrados.
Coffee is roasted at between two hundred and two hundred fifty degrees centigrade.
Caption 7, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
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Refrigera la torta por dos horas antes de servir.
Refrigerate cake for two hours prior to serving.
The verb estirar, which usually means "to stretch," can also refer to "rolling out" dough, for example, with a rolling pin:
el rulero, empezar a estirar la empanada.
the rolling pin, start to roll out the empanada.
Caption 37, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Lalo y la receta de la empanada
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Although enjuagar is the most common verb meaning "to rinse," sometimes the verb desinfectar can be used when referring to "rinsing" food items.
las frutas, lo... las lavamos, las desinfectamos,
the fruit, we... we wash it, we rinse it,
Caption 15, Otavalo Mali Tea
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Have you ever heard of "false friends," or false cognates in Spanish? While remover sounds like "to remove" and revolver resembles "to revolve," both of these verbs mean "to stir" in Spanish (the latter making a bit more sense!). Meanwhile, the false friend estirar, which looks and sounds more like "to stir," means "to stretch" (or "roll out," as we learned earlier).
Recordad: remover bien la mezcla.
Remember: Stir the mixture well.
Caption 65, El Aula Azul Receta de natillas
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In addition to "to stir," the Spanish verb revolver can also mean "to scramble."
Revuelve los huevos en una sartén de acero inoxidable.
Scramble the eggs in a stainless steel frying pan.
Espolvorea con azúcar y canela.
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Exprimimos medio limón por cada trozo de carne.
We squeeze half a lemon for each piece of meat.
Caption 36, Osos en la cocina Carne asada
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con queso y mantequilla que puedes untar sobre el pan.
with cheese and butter that you can spread on the bread.
Captions 40-41, Natalia de Ecuador Alimentos para el desayuno
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Al vapor, el brócoli conserva su textura, su sabor y sus propiedades.
Steamed, broccoli keeps its texture, its flavor, and its properties.
Captions 58-59, Soledad Ensaladilla de brócoli
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This Spanish verb literally means "to boil at low heat," which is what "simmering" refers to:
Hierve el guiso a fuego lento por tres a cuatro horas.
Simmer the stew for three to four hours.
Picamos en rebanadas.
We slice [them].
Caption 15, Recetas de cocina Ensalada de pepino
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le echo... lo salteo con aceite y le echo una guindilla.
I put it in... I sauté it with oil and I add a chili pepper to it.
Caption 27, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 3
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De un litro, hay que cogerle y cernirle
From one liter, you have to take it and sift it,
Caption 102, Comunidad Tsáchila Ayahuasca y plantas curativas
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Notice that the Spanish words for "tossing" a salad are not the literal translations for the word "toss" as in "throw," but rather mean "to mix" (mezclar) and "to stir" (revolver, remover).
Verter el aderezo en la ensalada y revolver poco antes de servir.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss just before serving.
La uso para tostar el pan del desayuno por las mañanas.
I use it to toast the breakfast bread in the morning.
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Piensa rápido
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Para cada jarra de café debo pesar siempre la misma cantidad
For each mug of coffee I must always weigh out the same amount,
Captions 53-54, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
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The previously discussed Spanish verb batir can also be used for the action of "whisking." To be more specific, you might also mention the name of the "whisk" instrument:
Usando una batidora de varillas, bate la mezcla hasta que esté uniforme.
Using a wire whisk, blend mixture until it is uniform.
A much simpler translation with the same meaning would be simply: "Whisk mixture until uniform."
Mientras lavamos el tomate y vamos preparando la ensalada,
While we wash the tomato and we're making the salad,
Caption 28, Fermín Ensalada de tomate
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We hope that this lesson on the top Spanish verbs for cooking has brought to light a lot of new cooking vocabulary as well as making you aware of a multitude of Yabla videos you might not have seen with a ton of scrumptious recipes to try! And if you do, we would love for you to write us with your experiences and comments!
The Royal Spanish Academy's Dictionary of the Spanish Language lists 25 different meanings for the Spanish verb pegar, whose English translations range from "to stick" to "to hit"! Although we won't cover all of them, today's lesson will touch on many of the most common ones, backed by lots of examples from the Yabla Spanish video library. Are you ready?!
The Spanish verb pegar is often used to describe attaching one thing to another. While this could involve some substance like glue or paste, in other cases, it might simply entail "sticking" one thing onto another via another means, like sewing (as in the example pegar un bóton, or "sew on a button"). Let's take a look at a couple more examples:
Después pegamos los ojos que le hicimos a nuestro personaje.
Afterwards we glue the eyes that we made for him onto our character.
Caption 65, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Charmander
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Repartía volantes, pegaba carteles...
I used to give out pamphlets, put up posters...
Caption 42, Felipe Calderón Publicidad - Part 1
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Similarly, the reflexive form of pegar, pegarse, is used to talk about things that "stick to" other things and might even be translated as "to burn" or "stick to the pan" in the context of cooking.
Y queremos que la harina no esté muy seca y no muy mojada para que no se pegue a las manos
And, we want for the flour to not be very dry and not very moist so that it doesn't stick to one's hands
Captions 43-44, Dany Arepas - Part 1
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Bueno, entonces vemos que esto se está empezando a pegar al fondo.
Well, so we see that this is starting to stick to the bottom.
Caption 1, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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In contrast to the former meanings, the Spanish verb pegar can also mean to "hit" someone, as in physically striking them:
Ella era muy amorosa, ella nunca... nunca me pegó, ni una palmada ni nada.
She was very loving. She never... never hit me, not a spank or anything.
Caption 2, La Sub30 Familias - Part 11
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Hermanito, ¿te pegaste?
Little brother, did you get hurt?
Caption 10, Guillermina y Candelario Una película de terror - Part 3
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The verb pegar often appears with specific nouns like tiro (shot), bofetón (slap), patada (kick), etc., to talk about specific types of "striking." For example, you might hear that a soccer player le pegó una patada fuerte a la pelota ("gave the ball a good kick") or that someone le pegó un bofetón ("slapped him" or "gave him a slap"). Let's see an example with un tiro:
Calme ese perro o le pego un tiro.
Calm down that dog or I'll shoot him.
Caption 40, Tu Voz Estéreo Laura - Part 6
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The verb pegar in Spanish might be employed to talk about sun, light, or even wind that falls upon (or is particularly frequent in) a particular surface or area:
Porque aquí esta zona, aquí pega mucho viento.
Because this area here, it's very windy here.
Caption 21, Playa Adícora Francisco - Part 3
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The Spanish verb pegar can additionally be utilized to talk about either "giving," in the sense of "transmitting" an illness or habit to someone, or "picking" it "up." Let's look at an example where pegar means "to give":
Traté de evitarlo, pero al final mi novio me ha pegado el COVID.
I tried to avoid it, but in the end, my boyfriend gave me COVID.
Now, let's see an example of the Spanish verb pegar within a no fault se construction to talk about something one "got."
Parece que se te pegó todo lo malo de ese títere de peluche, ¿no?
It seems like everything bad about that stuffed puppet rubbed off on you, right?
Caption 20, La Familia Cheveroni Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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An alternative translation for this sentence might be: "It seems like you picked up everything bad about that stuffed puppet, right?"
The verb pegar in Spanish can entail "pulling" something "up" to something else or "moving (it) closer." For example, you might say: "Pegué la cama a la pared" (I pulled up the bed up to the wall). Let's see one more example:
Puedes pegar un poco el brazo hacia ti.
You can bring your arm a bit closer to you.
Caption 21, Bienestar con Elizabeth Activar las articulaciones
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Antiguamente el mar pegaba a la muralla.
Previously, the sea touched the wall.
Caption 8, Viajando en Colombia Cartagena en coche - Part 2
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Esa camisa no pega con ese pantalón.
That shirt doesn't match those pants.
In addition to its more traditional uses, the verb pegar can be found in lots of idiomatic expressions and may be used differently in different countries and regions. In the Dominican Republic, for example, it is common to use the Spanish verb pegar to talk about actions that began suddenly, as in the case of "Pegó a correr" (He took off running). In other regions, you might hear expressions like "Me pegó la depresión" (I got depressed) to give us a sense that the speaker was "stricken" by depression, while "Me pegué una siesta" is another way to say "I took a nap."
While the less textbook meanings of the verb pegar can seem endless, here are a smattering of examples whose meanings feel like logical extensions of some of the more traditional definitions we covered:
Era lo que yo había aprendido y entonces, eh, me pegué con ellos
It was what I had learned and so, um, I hooked up with them
Captions 28-29, Willy Entrevista - Part 2
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hoy le pego a ese duraznito de Amalia Durango, ¿oyó?
today I'll hit it with that peach Amalia Durango, you hear?
Caption 11, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 9
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Esto te pega a ti. ¿A ti te gusta?
This one gets your attention. You like it?
Caption 87, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Yo sólo quiero pegar en la radio
I just want to catch on on the radio
Caption 1, Bacilos Mi Primer Millón
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Although these examples of the many meanings of the Spanish verb pegar are by no means exhaustive, we hope that this lesson has given you insight into many of them and their uses in different contexts. Let us know with your suggestions and comments if you can think of any more!
In our new video from Spain where Leif shares his ideas about architecture, he uses the expression en la medida en que (in that, to the extent that). This phrase can be easily mixed up with another equally common expression: a medida que (as, while). Let's review a couple of examples to learn when and how to use them properly.
En la medida en que (in that, to the extent that) is used to express the degree of correspondence between different actions or processes. Let's start with Leif's example:
El arquitecto se hace en la medida en que es un proceso.
An architect is made to the extent that it [architecture] is a process.
Caption 20, Leif -El Arquitecto Español y su Arte
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When used with the subjunctive, en la medida en que functions as a conditional expression:
En la medida en que los demás colaboren, lo haré yo también.
As long as others contribute, I will also do so.
Sometimes people drop the preposition en. This is not correct but extremely common:
Todo está en movimiento
Everything is in movement
y en la medida (en) que se aproxima la celebración,
and as the celebration approaches,
se prepara el ambiente.
the environment is prepared.
Captions 81-83, Estado Falcón - Locos de la Vela
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In fact, by looking at the translation of the previous example you can notice that the person talking should have used a similar expression instead: a medida que (as, while),which is used to express a parallel progression of two actions:
Además, es muy bonito porque la gente,
Besides, it's very nice because the people,
a medida que va pintando, va comentando.
while they're painting, are commenting.
Captions 57-58, Blanca y Mariona - Proyectos para el verano
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It's very common to use a medida que to give instructions for processes that require us to do more than one thing at a time, like recipes:
Entonces queremos ir mezclando
So, we want to be mixing
a medida que vamos agregando la harina.
while we are adding the flour.
Caption 35, Dany - Arepas
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Finally, there are two words that can substitute the expression a medida que: conforme (as) and mientras (while). In the following quote, we have substituted these alternative to demonstrate their interchangeability.
Hasta después fui aprendiendo conforme se fue haciendo el cómic.
Hasta después fui aprendiendo a medida que se fue haciendo el cómic.
Hasta después fui aprendiendo mientras se fue haciendo el cómic.
Until later [when] I started learning as the comic was being made.
Captions 40-41, Antonio Vargas - Artista ilustración
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Thanks for reading!
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