Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): En cambio, mi hermana prefiere cocinar en casa. - On the other hand, my sister prefers to cook at home.

It means “on the other hand” / “whereas.” It introduces a contrast with what was said before. It doesn’t mean “instead of doing X” (that would be en vez de + infinitive). It’s very natural at the start of a sentence to set up a comparison.

How is En cambio different from pero, sin embargo, and por el contrario?

pero = “but,” the most neutral/simple contrast inside one sentence.
sin embargo = “however,” often slightly more formal; works well sentence-initially.
en cambio = “on the other hand,” contrasts two alternatives or people’s preferences.
por el contrario = “by contrast/on the contrary,” stronger, marks direct opposition.

Many times more than one is possible, but nuance changes slightly.

Do I need the comma after En cambio?

Yes, when En cambio opens the sentence, a comma is standard: En cambio, .... If you place it mid-sentence, set it off with commas: Mi hermana, en cambio, prefiere...

Why is there no subject pronoun (ella) before prefiere?

Spanish usually omits subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Prefiere already signals “he/she prefers.” You’d add ella only for emphasis or contrast: En cambio, ella prefiere...

Why is it prefiere and not “prefere”? What’s going on with preferir?

Preferir is a stem-changing verb (e → ie) in the present tense:

yo prefiero
tú prefieres
él/ella prefiere
nosotros preferimos (no change)
vosotros preferís (no change)
ellos/ellas prefieren

Hence: mi hermana prefiere.

Why is cocinar in the infinitive and not cocinando?

After verbs of desire/liking such as preferir, Spanish uses the infinitive: prefiere cocinar. The gerund (cocinando) does not work here. English “prefers cooking” maps to Spanish prefiere cocinar, not “prefiere cocinando.”

Is cocinar the most natural verb in Spain? Any alternatives?

Cocinar is fine and standard. Common Spain alternatives:

hacer de comer (colloquial: “make food”)
hacer la comida (often “make lunch,” the main midday meal)
preparar la cena (prepare dinner) All are natural depending on context.

What’s the difference between en casa, en la casa, a casa, and en su casa?

en casa = “at home” (idiomatic; no article)
en la casa = “in the house” (specific building as a location, less about “home”)
a casa = “(to) home” with movement verbs: ir a casa
en su casa = “at his/her/their house” (explicitly someone’s home)

In this sentence, whose home does en casa refer to?

It’s context-dependent. Often it means “at home” in general. If you and your sister live together, it’s likely “at our home.” If she lives elsewhere, it may imply her home—but it’s ambiguous. To be clear:

her home: en su casa
my/our home: en mi/nuestra casa
parents’ place: en casa de mis padres

Why is there no article before mi hermana? Why not la mi hermana?

Spanish never uses an article with the short possessives mi/tu/su/nuestro... before a noun: it’s mi hermana, not “la mi hermana.” If you use the long form after the noun, an article appears: la hermana mía.

Does mi agree with gender or number?

It agrees in number only:

singular: mi hermano / mi hermana
plural: mis hermanos / mis hermanas There’s no gender change in mi/mis.

Can I move En cambio or the phrase around?

Yes, common variants:

En cambio, mi hermana prefiere cocinar en casa. (very natural)
Mi hermana, en cambio, prefiere cocinar en casa. (focus on “my sister”)
Mi hermana prefiere, en cambio, cocinar en casa. (less common; acceptable with pauses) Keeping En cambio at the start is the clearest.

How would I say it if the person prefers someone else to cook (change of subject)?

Use preferir que + subjunctive when the subject changes:

En cambio, mi hermana prefiere que yo cocine en casa. Here cocine is subjunctive because it’s a different subject from prefiere.

Do I need a preposition before the infinitive after preferir?

No. It’s preferir + infinitive directly: prefiere cocinar, not “prefiere de/a cocinar.”

How do I put this in past or future?

One-time past action (preterite): En cambio, mi hermana prefirió cocinar en casa.
Habitual past (imperfect): En cambio, mi hermana prefería cocinar en casa.
Future: En cambio, mi hermana preferirá cocinar en casa.

Is there any nuance difference between en casa and en la casa here?

Yes. En casa = “at home” (idiomatic). En la casa points to “inside the house (building)” and is less idiomatic for the idea of “at home,” unless you’re stressing the physical building or contrasting with, say, the garden.

Any Spain-specific pronunciation tips for this sentence?

cocinar: in much of Spain, ci sounds like the English “th” in “think” → [koθiˈnaɾ].
prefiere: the ie is a diphthong [je]; you’ll hear [pɾeˈfjeɾe].
casa: clear [ˈkasa]; single r in prefiere is a flap [ɾ].