¿Qué estás cocinando?
To ask "what are you cooking?" in Spanish, use ¿Qué estás cocinando?
This phrase is used to ask someone what food they are currently preparing. In certain Latin American countries, you may hear people use the word haciendo instead of preparando when asking about cooking.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of the interrogative pronoun qué (what), the auxiliary verb estar in the second person singular form estás (you are) and the gerund of the verb cocinar (cocinando).
Which one should you use?
The present simple form ¿Qué cocinas? is a very common way to ask the same question in Spanish, even if the action is happening right now.
How does it change in a sentence?
To address someone formally using the usted form, change estás to está, resulting in ¿Qué está cocinando?
Did you know?
- While 'cocinar' is the direct translation, many native speakers will simply ask ¿Qué haces? which translates to 'What are you doing?' In the context of a kitchen, this is the standard way to ask what is being prepared.
- The verb cocinar is used metaphorically in Spanish to describe 'cooking up' a scheme or a trick, mirroring the English idiom.
- While cocinero is the standard word for a cook, Spanish uses the French loanword chef specifically to denote someone with formal professional training.
Examples in context
- Estoy cocinando pasta.I am cooking pasta.
- Huele muy bien, ¿qué estás cocinando?It smells very good, what are you cooking?
Example conversation
Mateo enters the kitchen while Elena is preparing a meal.
- MateoHola Elena, ¿qué estás cocinando?Hi Elena, what are you cooking?
- ElenaEstoy haciendo una pasta con tomate.I am making a pasta with tomato.
- Mateo¡Qué rico! ¿Necesitas ayuda?How delicious! Do you need help?
- ElenaNo, gracias, ya casi está listo.No, thank you, it is almost ready.
