Breakdown of Agrego una cucharadita de sal a la sopa.
yo
I
de
of
a
to
una
a
la sopa
the soup
agregar
to add
la sal
the salt
la cucharadita
the teaspoon
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Questions & Answers about Agrego una cucharadita de sal a la sopa.
Why is agrego used here, and what is its infinitive form?
Agrego is the first person singular present tense of the verb agregar, which means to add. It literally means “I add.” In Spanish, the subject pronoun (yo) is often omitted because the verb ending already indicates the subject.
What does una cucharadita de sal mean, and how is it different from una cucharada?
Una cucharadita is the diminutive form of cuchara, meaning teaspoon, whereas una cucharada means tablespoon (a full spoonful). The diminutive -ita indicates a smaller measure, so una cucharadita de sal means “a teaspoon of salt.”
Why do we use de between cucharadita and sal?
This is the partitive construction to express quantity. De links the measure word (una cucharadita) to the substance (sal), just like “a cup of coffee” in English. Without de, it would be ungrammatical: you need de to say “of salt.”
Why is it a la sopa and not just sopa?
The preposition a specifies direction or target: you add salt to the soup. La is the definite article agreeing with sopa (feminine singular). Together, a la sopa means to the soup.
Could we say Agrego sal a la sopa instead?
Yes. Agrego sal a la sopa (“I add salt to the soup”) is perfectly correct. You simply omit the specific measure when the exact amount isn’t important or has already been implied.
Can I use another verb like añadir instead of agregar?
Absolutely. Añadir also means to add, so Añado una cucharadita de sal a la sopa carries the same meaning. Both verbs are interchangeable in most contexts.
Does sal need an article in this sentence?
No. In the phrase una cucharadita de sal, sal is an uncountable noun and doesn’t take its own article because the measure phrase already defines the amount.