Para merendar preparo un sándwich sencillo de queso.

For an afternoon snack I make a simple cheese sandwich.

Breakdown of Para merendar preparo un sándwich sencillo de queso.

• yo: I
• un: a
• para: for
• de: of
• merendar: to have an afternoon snack
• sencillo: simple
• preparar: to make
• el sándwich: the sandwich
• el queso: the cheese

Questions & Answers about Para merendar preparo un sándwich sencillo de queso.

Why does the sentence use para merendar and not something like para la merienda or just para merienda?

In Spanish, para + infinitive is very commonly used to express purpose:

• Para merendar preparo… = I prepare … (in order) to have as an afternoon snack.

Here, merendar is the verb “to have an afternoon snack,” so para merendar literally means “in order to have a snack.”

• La merienda is the noun “the (afternoon) snack.”
  You could say para la merienda preparo un sándwich…, which is also correct, but it shifts the nuance slightly to “for the snack (time)” rather than the action “to snack.”

Bare para merienda (without la) is not natural in Spanish; with time-based meals you normally use the article: para la cena, para el desayuno, para la merienda, etc., or you switch to the infinitive: para cenar, para desayunar, para merendar.

What exactly does merendar mean, and is it used like “to snack” in English?

Merendar is a verb that broadly means “to have an afternoon snack / tea”, typically between lunch and dinner, especially in Spain.

• ¿Has merendado ya? – Have you had your afternoon snack yet?
• Suelo merendar fruta. – I usually have fruit as an afternoon snack.

Related forms:

• la merienda – the afternoon snack (the food or the occasion).
• Estamos merendando. – We’re (currently) having an afternoon snack.

It’s similar to “to snack,” but in Spain it usually refers to a specific snack time in the afternoon, not just any random nibbling throughout the day.

Why is there no yo in preparo? Shouldn’t it be yo preparo?

Spanish is a “pro-drop” language, meaning the subject pronoun is often omitted because the verb ending already shows the subject.

• Preparo can only be yo (I), so yo is usually unnecessary:
  • Preparo un sándwich. = I prepare a sandwich.

You add yo when you want to emphasize or contrast:

• Yo preparo un sándwich, tú preparas el café.
  I’ll make a sandwich, you make the coffee.

So both are correct, but the more natural everyday version is simply Preparo…

In English I’d say “I’m preparing…”, but Spanish uses preparo, not estoy preparando. Why?

Spanish simple present often covers both:

• Habitual actions:

  • Preparo un sándwich sencillo de queso para merendar.
    I (usually) make a simple cheese sandwich for a snack.

• Actions happening right now, if context makes it clear.

English often prefers the present continuous (“I’m preparing”), but Spanish doesn’t need a continuous form unless you want to stress right now, at this very moment:

• Ahora mismo estoy preparando un sándwich sencillo de queso.

In your sentence, the simple present preparo sounds like a habit or routine, which is natural in Spanish.

Would voy a preparar un sándwich… sound better than preparo?

Both are correct, but they suggest slightly different things:

• Preparo un sándwich sencillo de queso para merendar.
  Sounds like a habit or a general statement: This is what I (normally) do.

• Voy a preparar un sándwich sencillo de queso para merendar.
  Focuses more on immediate future intention: I’m going to make a simple cheese sandwich (now / soon) to have as a snack.

So it depends on what you want to express: habit (preparo) vs intention / near future (voy a preparar).

Why is it un sándwich and not uno sándwich?

Un is the indefinite article (“a / an”) used before a masculine singular noun:

• un sándwich, un coche, un libro.

Uno is used:

• As the number “one”:
  
  • Tengo uno. – I have one.
• As a pronoun, replacing a masculine singular noun already mentioned:
  
  • ¿Quieres un sándwich?
    Sí, quiero uno. – Yes, I want one.

You cannot put uno directly before the noun:

• ❌ uno sándwich
• ✅ un sándwich

Why is sencillo placed after sándwich? Could you say un sencillo sándwich?

Most adjectives in Spanish normally go after the noun:

• un sándwich sencillo – a simple sandwich
• una casa grande – a big house
• un libro interesante – an interesting book

If you move sencillo before the noun (un sencillo sándwich de queso), it’s grammatically correct but sounds more literary or stylistic, and can carry a slightly more subjective, emotional or rhetorical tone:

• un sencillo sándwich de queso might feel a bit like:
  a mere simple cheese sandwich / just a humble cheese sandwich.

In everyday speech, un sándwich sencillo de queso (adjective after the noun) is the standard, neutral word order.

What’s the difference between un sándwich and un bocadillo in Spain?

In Spain, both are types of “sandwich,” but they’re not the same:

• un sándwich:
  Usually made with sliced, soft, square bread (pan de molde).

  • un sándwich mixto = ham and cheese toasted sandwich.

• un bocadillo:
  Made with crusty baguette-style bread (barra de pan).

  • un bocadillo de queso, un bocadillo de jamón, etc.

So your sentence with un sándwich sencillo de queso suggests a sandwich on sliced bread, not a baguette-style sandwich.

Why is there an accent on sándwich, and how do you make the plural?

Sándwich is a loanword from English, adapted to Spanish spelling and stress rules.

• The written accent (tilde) shows that the stress falls on the first syllable: SÁN-dwich, not san-DWICH.
• Without the accent, Spanish rules might lead learners to stress it incorrectly.

The most common plural in Spain is:

• los sándwiches – sandwiches.

You might also see los sándwichs, but sándwiches is the standard and clearer form.

Why is it de queso and not con queso?

Both de and con can relate to ingredients, but they’re used differently:

• de often means “made of / based on / main ingredient is”:

  • un sándwich de queso – a cheese sandwich (cheese is the main filling).
  • una tarta de queso – cheesecake.

• con means “with”, just indicating something is present:

  • un sándwich con queso – a sandwich with cheese (but not necessarily just cheese; you might imagine other ingredients too).

So:

• un sándwich de queso sencillo = a simple cheese sandwich (cheese-based).
• un sándwich sencillo con queso = a simple sandwich that includes cheese (but maybe ham, tomato, etc. as well).

Could you say un sándwich de queso sencillo instead of un sándwich sencillo de queso? Does it change the meaning?

Both are grammatically correct:

• un sándwich sencillo de queso (original)
  → Focuses first on sándwich sencillo (simple sandwich), then specifies it’s de queso.
  This is the most natural, neutral order.

• un sándwich de queso sencillo
  → Sounds more like you are specifying what kind of cheese sandwich it is (a simple cheese sandwich, not fancy).
  Still understandable, though a bit less natural in everyday speech.

In practice, Spanish speakers will almost always say:

• un sándwich sencillo de queso.

Why is sencillo ending in -o here? How does agreement work?

Adjectives in Spanish generally agree in gender and number with the noun they describe:

• sándwich is masculine singular, so:
  • un sándwich sencillo (masculine singular)
• If it were plural:
  • unos sándwiches sencillos
• If the noun were feminine:
  • una comida sencilla – a simple meal.
  • unas comidas sencillas – simple meals.

So the -o in sencillo matches un sándwich, which is masculine singular.