Hoy prepararé arroz con frijoles para el almuerzo; es un plato típico.

Today I will prepare rice with beans for lunch; it’s a typical dish.

Breakdown of Hoy prepararé arroz con frijoles para el almuerzo; es un plato típico.

• ser: to be
• yo: I
• con: with
• hoy: today
• para: for
• preparar: to prepare
• el almuerzo: the lunch
• un: a
• el plato: the dish
• el arroz: the rice
• el frijol: the bean
• ;: semicolon
• típico: typical

Questions & Answers about Hoy prepararé arroz con frijoles para el almuerzo; es un plato típico.

Why is the verb prepararé in the future tense instead of using the present tense (like preparo)?

In Spanish, adding -é at the end of a verb typically indicates the simple future tense. Using prepararé means “I will prepare,” emphasizing that the action will happen later today. By contrast, preparo would mean “I prepare,” which suggests a habitual or current action.

What does arroz con frijoles literally mean, and why is it “with” (con) rather than “and” (y)?

Arroz con frijoles literally means “rice with beans.” In many Spanish-speaking regions, when a dish combines certain foods commonly eaten together, it’s often connected by con (“with”), not y (“and”). It conveys that the rice and beans are served as a combined dish rather than two completely separate items.

Why do we use para el almuerzo instead of por el almuerzo?

In Spanish, para generally indicates a purpose or destination, so para el almuerzo means “for lunch” in the sense of intent or purpose. Por would imply a cause or reason, which doesn’t quite fit when talking about preparing a meal specifically intended for lunch time.

Why is there a semicolon (;) before es un plato típico?

Spanish punctuation rules allow the use of a semicolon to link two closely related independent clauses. Here, the first part states what the speaker plans to do (Hoy prepararé arroz con frijoles para el almuerzo), and the second part (es un plato típico) is an additional statement describing the dish, yet both ideas are closely connected.

What does es un plato típico convey about the dish?

Es un plato típico means “It’s a typical dish,” indicating that rice and beans is a very common or traditional meal in many parts of Latin America. This phrase tells us about the cultural significance and familiarity of the dish in that region.