Breakdown of Abro el grifo con cuidado para lavar las legumbres antes de cocinar.
yo
I
cocinar
to cook
para
to
con
with
abrir
to open
antes de
before
el cuidado
the care
el grifo
the tap
lavar
to wash
la legumbre
the legume
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Questions & Answers about Abro el grifo con cuidado para lavar las legumbres antes de cocinar.
Why is the verb abro used here? How does that conjugation work?
It’s the first-person singular (yo) in the present indicative of the verb abrir (to open). In Spanish you take the infinitive ending -ir and form: yo abro, tú abres, él/ella/Ud. abre, nosotros/as abrimos, vosotros/as abrís, ellos/as/Uds. abren.
What does grifo mean in Spain? Is it the same as faucet or tap?
Yes, grifo translates to faucet (US English) or tap (UK English). In Spain, grifo is the standard word for the device that controls water flow; you won’t hear caño or canilla as in some Latin-American countries.
Why is there a definite article (el) before grifo? In English we say “the faucet” too—so what's special here?
Spanish requires the definite article before specific or known nouns, even if you own the object. You can’t drop el: abro grifo would be ungrammatical. This is similar to how Spanish uses articles with body parts or clothing (me lavo las manos, not me lavo manos).
What does con cuidado mean? Could I use cuidadosamente instead?
Con cuidado means carefully (literally “with care”). You can also say cuidadosamente (an adverb), both are correct and virtually interchangeable. In everyday speech, many native speakers prefer con + noun constructions.
Why is para used before lavar? Could I say por lavar?
Here para + infinitive expresses purpose (“in order to wash”). Por + infinitive generally doesn’t convey purpose; it often indicates cause or means. Using por lavar would sound odd and change the meaning.
What are legumbres exactly? In English “legumes” usually means beans or lentils, so can I really wash them?
In Spain legumbres refers broadly to vegetables (e.g., lettuce, zucchini, carrots). Dried beans, lentils, or chickpeas are called legumbres secas or pulsos. So when you lavas las legumbres, you’re washing fresh vegetables.
Why is it antes de cocinar (infinitive) instead of antes de que cocino (subjunctive)?
When the subject of both verbs is the same, Spanish uses the infinitive after a preposition. Here, “you” open and “you” cook, so we say antes de cocinar. If the subjects differ, use antes de que + subjunctive (e.g., antes de que ella cocine).
Could I move con cuidado elsewhere in the sentence? For example, Con cuidado abro el grifo or Abro el grifo con cuidado—are both OK?
Yes. Spanish word order is flexible for adverbial phrases. You can say Con cuidado abro el grifo, Abro el grifo con cuidado or even Abro con cuidado el grifo without changing the core meaning.
Why use lavar here? What about enjuagar or fregar?
Lavar means “to wash” in general. Enjuagar means “to rinse” (with water only). Fregar implies “scrubbing” (especially dishes or floors). If you simply want to clean vegetables with water, lavar is the most natural choice; enjuagar would work too if you specifically mean rinsing.
Can I say cocer instead of cocinar in this context?
Cocinar covers any cooking method (frying, roasting, boiling, etc.). Cocer specifically means “to cook in water” (to boil or simmer). Unless you’re only boiling the vegetables, cocinar is more general and usually preferred here.