Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Su esposa cocina en casa, mientras que su cuñada trabaja en la cafetería. - His wife cooks at home, while his sister-in-law works at the cafeteria.

In Latin American Spanish, su can mean his, her, your (formal, speaking to one person as usted), or their. The form su doesn’t show the possessor’s gender or number; only the thing owned shows number (e.g., su esposa = “wife,” sus esposas = “wives”). Context tells you who the possessor is.

How can I make it clear whose wife/sister‑in‑law it is and avoid the ambiguity of su?

Use de + noun/pronoun: La esposa de él/ella, la cuñada de Juan.
Or name the person directly: La esposa de Ana cocina en casa…
Or switch to an unambiguous possessive: tu esposa (informal “your”), nuestra esposa (“our”), etc.
These remove doubt about whose relative is being mentioned.

What exactly does cuñada mean?

It means sister‑in‑law. It can be:

Your spouse’s sister, or
Your sibling’s wife.
Without more context, it’s ambiguous. The masculine is cuñado (brother‑in‑law).

Why mientras que and not just mientras?

Mientras = “while” in a temporal sense (two things happening at the same time).
Mientras que often adds a contrastive sense, like “whereas.”
In many regions you’ll hear both, but mientras que is common when you want to highlight a contrast, as in this sentence.

Do I need the comma before mientras que?

It’s common (and stylistically helpful) to use a comma when mientras que introduces a contrasting clause, much like a comma before “whereas” in English. For a purely temporal “while,” the comma may be omitted, but with contrast it’s recommended.

What tense are cocina and trabaja? Could it also mean “is cooking/working right now”?

They’re the simple present (third-person singular): cocina (she cooks), trabaja (she works). Spanish simple present covers:

Habitual actions: “She cooks at home (generally).”
Actions happening now (in many contexts).
If you want to emphasize “right now,” use the progressive: está cocinando, está trabajando.

Why en casa and not en la casa or a casa?

en casa = “at home” (idiomatic; no article).
en la casa = “in the house” (the physical building; more specific or contrastive: inside the house vs. outside).
a casa = “to/going home” (motion).
So here en casa is the natural choice for “at home.”

Does en casa need a possessive, like en su casa?

No. En casa on its own means “at home.” If you must specify whose home, add a possessive or a de phrase:

en su casa (at his/her/their/your [formal] home)
en la casa de Juan (at Juan’s house)

Is cocina a verb here or the noun “kitchen”?

Here it’s a verb (third-person singular of cocinar). The noun “kitchen” would be la cocina with an article. For example, Cocina en la cocina would literally be “She cooks in the kitchen.”

Why are there no subject pronouns like ella?

Spanish is a “pro‑drop” language, so subject pronouns are normally omitted because the verb endings already show the subject. You can add ella for emphasis or clarity: Ella cocina en casa…

Why la cafetería and not una cafetería or just cafetería?

en la cafetería suggests a specific or known cafeteria (e.g., her workplace).
en una cafetería = “at a cafeteria” (unspecified).
en cafetería can work to mean “in the cafeteria sector/line of work,” but it’s less common.
Spanish often uses the definite article for familiar institutions/places (e.g., la escuela, el hospital, la oficina).

Does cafetería mean the same as “cafe/coffee shop”?

It depends on region and context:

In much of Latin America, la cafetería can mean a cafeteria (school/company dining hall) or a casual eatery.
el café often means a coffee shop.
So trabaja en la cafetería could be “works at the cafeteria” or, in some contexts, “works at the café.”

Why trabaja en and not trabaja para?

trabajar en focuses on the place or environment: Trabaja en la cafetería (works at/in the cafeteria).
trabajar para highlights the employer or who you work for: Trabaja para una cadena de cafeterías (works for a chain).
Both are correct; they just emphasize different things.

Can I reverse the order of the clauses?

Yes: Mientras que su cuñada trabaja en la cafetería, su esposa cocina en casa. The meaning stays the same; the first clause gets a bit more emphasis.

Any accent marks or special letters to watch?

cafetería has an accent on the í.
cuñada uses ñ (pronounced like “nyah”).
mientras has no accent.
que here has no accent (not qué).
Approximate pronunciation: cuñada = “koo-NYAH-dah,” cafetería = “kah-feh-teh-REE-ah.”

Could I say la esposa instead of su esposa?

Not by itself. La esposa = “the wife,” which sounds incomplete unless specified: la esposa de Carlos. To express possession without a de phrase, use a possessive: su esposa, mi esposa, tu esposa, etc.

Is mientras ever followed by the subjunctive?

Yes, when it means “as long as/provided that,” you’ll often see the subjunctive: Mientras tengas tiempo, ayúdame (“As long as you have time, help me”). In your sentence, mientras que is contrastive/temporal, so the indicative (cocina, trabaja) is correct.

What’s a more colloquial way to say “cooks at home” in Latin America?

You’ll hear alternatives like:

Hace de comer en casa (very common in Mexico)
Prepara la comida en casa They’re informal, everyday ways to express the idea.

Is esposa interchangeable with mujer for “wife”?

Often, yes. In many parts of Latin America, mi mujer is a common way to say “my wife.” Esposa is neutral/formal and always understood; mujer is more colloquial and context‑dependent.