Mi hermano quiere aprender a cocinar.

to want

Breakdown of Mi hermano quiere aprender a cocinar.

• cocinar: to cook
• aprender: to learn
• mi: my

Questions & Answers about Mi hermano quiere aprender a cocinar.

Why is quiere in the third-person singular form?

Because mi hermano (my brother) is a third-person singular subject in Spanish (equivalent to él). Therefore, the verb querer must be conjugated as quiere (he wants) rather than quiero (I want) or queremos (we want).

Why do we include a before the verb cocinar?

In Spanish, the verb aprender is generally followed by a when it’s followed by another verb in the infinitive. So you say aprender a cocinar (to learn how to cook). Omitting a (“aprender cocinar”) would be incorrect.

Is aprender a cocinar a common phrase?

Yes, aprender a [infinitive] is a very typical and natural construction in Spanish to mean “to learn how to [do something].” You’ll hear phrases like aprender a bailar, aprender a conducir, etc.

Can I drop mi if it’s clear from context that he is my brother?

Normally, you would keep mi to indicate that he’s your brother. If the context is clear, speakers might say just hermano quiere aprender a cocinar informally, but it’s more common and grammatically precise to keep mi to specify possession.