El cocinar con descuido puede ser complicado.

Cooking carelessly can be complicated.

Breakdown of El cocinar con descuido puede ser complicado.

• ser: to be
• con: with
• poder: can
• complicado: complicated
• el descuido: the carelessness

Questions & Answers about El cocinar con descuido puede ser complicado.

Why does the sentence start with El cocinar instead of just Cocinar?

In Spanish, placing the article El before an infinitive (such as cocinar) turns the verb into a noun phrase meaning the act of cooking. It’s a way to treat the action as a subject or concept in the sentence.

What does con descuido mean in this context?

Con descuido literally translates to with carelessness. It indicates that the cooking is done in a careless or negligent way.

Why is puede ser used instead of simply es?

Puede ser (meaning can be) introduces the idea that it’s potentially complicated, rather than stating it as an absolute fact. It suggests a possibility or likelihood, giving a softer nuance than es.

Can cocinar here be replaced with another infinitive in the same structure?

Yes. You can use this construction with other infinitives as nouns, for example:

• El bailar con energía puede ser agotador. (Dancing energetically can be tiring.)
• El aprender otro idioma puede ser enriquecedor. (Learning another language can be enriching.)