The Present Tense of cocinar is used to describe actions happening right now or habitual actions, for example: Cocino una tortilla para el desayuno. (I’m cooking an omelet for breakfast.)

Cocinar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Cocinar (to cook) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Cocinar generally means to cook or prepare food, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: To cook or prepare food, for example, Yo cocino una cena deliciosa. (I cook a delicious dinner.)

Slang/Idiomatic meaning: To scheme, plot or plan something, often with negative connotations, for example, Ellos cocinan algo malo contra nosotros. (They are cooking up something bad against us.)

Colloquial meaning: To be in a difficult or stressful situation, for example, ¡Me estoy cocinando con este trabajo! (I’m cooking with this job! – meaning it’s very stressful)

Vulgar meaning: In some contexts, it can vulgarly refer to having sex, for example, ¿Qué cocinan ustedes dos ahí? (What are you two cooking up there? – implying sexual activity)

Examples

Examples of Cocinar in the Present Tense

Yo cocino la cena todas las noches. (I cook dinner every night.)

¿Tú cocinas o prefieres pedir comida? (Do you cook or do you prefer to order food?)

Ella cocina platos deliciosos con ingredientes frescos. (She cooks delicious dishes with fresh ingredients.)

Nosotros cocinamos juntos los fines de semana. (We cook together on weekends.)

¿Ustedes cocinan o salen a comer afuera? (Do you all cook or go out to eat?)

Ellos cocinan comida casera todos los días. (They cook homemade food every day.)

En esta casa, mamá cocina y todos ayudamos. (In this house, mom cooks and we all help.)

¿Qué cocinas para el almuerzo hoy? (What are you cooking for lunch today?)

Mi hermana cocina mejor que yo. (My sister cooks better than me.)

Cuando viajamos, cocinamos en el hotel para ahorrar dinero. (When we travel, we cook in the hotel to save money.)

Los chefs cocinan platos exquisitos en ese restaurante. (The chefs cook exquisite dishes at that restaurant.)

¿Alguien cocina o pedimos una pizza? (Is anyone cooking or should we order a pizza?)

En mi cultura, cocinamos juntos en ocasiones especiales. (In my culture, we cook together on special occasions.)

Los estudiantes cocinan sus propias comidas en la residencia. (The students cook their own meals in the dorm.)

Cuando estoy estresado, cocino para relajarme. (When I’m stressed, I cook to relax.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Cocinar (to cook) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.