Asamos el solomillo, el muslo y la mazorca.

We grilled the tenderloin, the thigh, and the corn cob.

Breakdown of Asamos el solomillo, el muslo y la mazorca.

• y: and
• el solomillo: the tenderloin
• el muslo: the thigh
• la mazorca: the corn cob

Questions & Answers about Asamos el solomillo, el muslo y la mazorca.

What does asamos mean grammatically?

Asamos is the first person plural form of asar, which means to roast, to grill, or to cook over heat depending on context.

So asamos can mean:

• we roast / we are roasting (present)
• we roasted (preterite / simple past)

That is a very common point of confusion, because for many -ar verbs, the nosotros form in the present and the preterite is spelled exactly the same.

Examples:

• Hoy asamos el solomillo. = Today we roast / are roasting the sirloin.
• Ayer asamos el solomillo. = Yesterday we roasted the sirloin.

The time word or context usually tells you which meaning is intended.

How can asamos mean both we roast and we roasted?

This happens because of the way Spanish verb endings work.

For -ar verbs like asar, the nosotros form is:

• Present: asamos
• Preterite: asamos

So the forms are identical. Spanish speakers rely on context, especially time expressions, to understand which one is meant.

For example:

• Ahora asamos el muslo. = Now we roast / are roasting the thigh.
• Anoche asamos el muslo. = Last night we roasted the thigh.

This is completely normal in Spanish.

Why is there el before every noun: el solomillo, el muslo y la mazorca?