Prometo dedicar más tiempo a mi habilidad de cocinar nuevos platos.

I promise to dedicate more time to my skill of cooking new dishes.

Breakdown of Prometo dedicar más tiempo a mi habilidad de cocinar nuevos platos.

• yo: I
• mi: my
• de: of
• nuevo: new
• más: more
• a: to
• el tiempo: the time
• prometer: to promise
• dedicar: to dedicate
• la habilidad: the skill
• cocinar: to cook
• el plato: the dish

Questions & Answers about Prometo dedicar más tiempo a mi habilidad de cocinar nuevos platos.

Why do we say dedicar más tiempo instead of something like dedicar tiempo extra in this context?

In Spanish, saying dedicar más tiempo explicitly conveys the idea of increasing the amount of time you’re currently investing. While dedicar tiempo extra could be used to mean additional time, más contrasts your current routine with the promise to spend more of it than before.

Why do we use a mi habilidad de cocinar rather than something like en mi habilidad de cocinar?

After dedicar, Spanish grammar typically requires the preposition a to indicate the focus of your dedication or effort. Saying dedicar más tiempo a something means you’re directing your time and effort toward that goal. En would sound off in this construction; a is the standard preposition used with dedicar.

Could I say habilidad para cocinar instead of habilidad de cocinar?

Yes! In many Spanish-speaking regions, saying habilidad para cocinar is perfectly acceptable and might even be more common. Using de is also acceptable and understood. Both convey the idea of the ability or skill needed to cook.

Can I replace Prometo with Me comprometo a and keep the same meaning?

You can, with a slight nuance. Prometo and Me comprometo a both express a promise, but Me comprometo a often sounds more formal and emphasizes personal commitment. Prometo is straightforward: I promise. Me comprometo a implies an agreement or pledge, sometimes binding yourself more strongly to the action.

Why don’t we say Prometo dedicarme instead of Prometo dedicar?

Dedicar and dedicarme have slightly different uses. Dedicar in this sentence focuses on what you’re investing your time in (the skill of cooking new dishes). Dedicarme (reflexive) can be used, but it would alter the focus to the idea of devoting myself to or engaging myself in that activity. It’s not wrong, but dedicar sounds more natural here when pinpointing how you plan to allocate extra time.