Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Cocino pollo en la sartén.

In Spanish, the verb ending in cocino clearly indicates the first-person singular subject. Because the verb form already tells us that “I” am doing the action, including yo is optional unless you want to add extra emphasis.

How is the verb cocinar conjugated in this sentence?

The base verb cocinar is an -ar verb. When conjugated in the present tense for the first person singular, it becomes cocino, which means I cook. This form is standard for describing habitual actions or general truths in Spanish.

Why is there no article before pollo?

In Spanish, nouns referring to food or materials are often used without an article when talking about them in a general sense. Here, pollo is treated as an uncountable or generic reference to chicken (as food), so no article is needed.

Why do we say en la sartén instead of just sartén?

The word sartén is a feminine noun, so it requires the definite article la. The phrase en la sartén means “in the pan,” using the article to indicate that you are referring to a specific, commonly understood cooking utensil.

Does the use of the simple present in cocino mean the action is habitual or occurring right now?

The simple present tense in Spanish can indicate either a habitual activity or a current action, depending on the context. In this sentence, Cocino pollo en la sartén could be interpreted as a general statement about your cooking routine. If you meant to stress that you are cooking at that very moment, you might say Estoy cocinando pollo en la sartén.