Learn Italian: Cucino la carne con l'aglio e la cipolla. - I cook the meat with garlic and onion.

Cucino la carne con l'aglio e la cipolla.

I cook the meat with garlic and onion.

Breakdown of Cucino la carne con l'aglio e la cipolla.

Questions & Answers about Cucino la carne con l'aglio e la cipolla.

Why do we use "l'" and "la" before garlic and onion when the English just says "garlic and onion"?

In Italian, definite articles (like la or l') are used much more often than in English. You generally need them when talking about broad categories or ingredients in a general sense, so you include them for aglio (garlic) and cipolla (onion).

Why is it l'aglio instead of il aglio or lo aglio?

Aglio is a masculine noun starting with a vowel. It normally takes the article lo, but because it sits right next to the starting vowel of aglio, the "o" is dropped and replaced with an apostrophe to make it flow better when speaking.

What's the difference between cucinare (used here as cucino) and cuocere?

Cucinare means "to cook" in the sense of preparing a dish or a meal (like adding ingredients and mixing). Cuocere focuses strictly on the physical process of applying heat to raw food (like boiling or baking). Since this sentence is about the recipe and preparation, cucino is the best choice.

How would I specify the type of meat, like "beef" or "pork"?