Breakdown of Cada fin de semana cocinamos una legumbre diferente con verduras frescas.
una
a
cocinar
to cook
con
with
nosotros
we
cada
every
fresco
fresh
de
of
el fin
the end
la semana
the week
diferente
different
la verdura
the vegetable
la legumbre
the legume
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Questions & Answers about Cada fin de semana cocinamos una legumbre diferente con verduras frescas.
Why do we say cada fin de semana instead of todos los fines de semana or todas las semanas?
Both cada fin de semana and todos los fines de semana express habitual actions. Cada fin de semana literally means “each weekend” and emphasizes repetition one by one. Todos los fines de semana means “every weekend” and is also correct; it’s a bit more general. Todas las semanas (“every week”) is acceptable too but focuses on the seven-day cycle rather than the weekend in particular.
Why is fin de semana singular after cada, not plural?
In Spanish, when you use cada you always pair it with a singular noun: cada día, cada mes, cada semana, cada fin de semana. It doesn’t matter that you’re referring to multiple weekends—cada treats them one at a time.
Why is the verb cocinamos in the simple present? Doesn’t Spanish need the present continuous?
In Spanish, the simple present not only describes actions happening now (“we cook right now”) but also habitual or repeated actions: “we cook (every weekend).” If you said estamos cocinando, it would mean “we are cooking (right now),” not “we usually cook.”
Why use una legumbre diferente in the singular? Wouldn’t legumbres make more sense?
Una legumbre diferente means “a different type of legume” each weekend. The focus is on choosing one variety per occasion (e.g. chickpeas, lentils, beans), so the singular with the indefinite article una is natural. If you said legumbres diferentes, it would imply you cook several different legumes at once.
Why does diferente come after legumbre? Can it go before?
Most adjectives follow the noun in Spanish, especially descriptive ones like diferente. Placing diferente before could sound poetic or add emphasis: una diferente legumbre is possible but less common in everyday speech. The usual order is una legumbre diferente.
Why are verduras frescas plural when legumbre is singular?
You cook one type of legume together with various fresh vegetables. Since vegetables typically come in multiple pieces or kinds, they’re plural: verduras. The adjective frescas agrees in gender (feminine) and number (plural) with verduras.
Could we use y verduras frescas instead of con verduras frescas?
Yes, you could say Cada fin de semana cocinamos una legumbre diferente y verduras frescas, but that suggests cooking legumes and vegetables separately or as two items. Con verduras frescas (with fresh vegetables) emphasizes that the vegetables accompany the legume in the same dish.
Why use verduras and not vegetales? Are they interchangeable?
In Spain, verduras is more common for leafy or green vegetables (e.g. spinach, broccoli), while vegetales is a broader, slightly more formal term. In Latin America vegetales is used more often. In context, verduras frescas sounds natural in Spain for “fresh veg.”