Breakdown of La masa madre crece a medida que fermenta.
crecer
to grow
a medida que
as / at the same time as (progression)
la masa madre
sourdough starter
fermentar
to ferment
Questions & Answers about La masa madre crece a medida que fermenta.
Why is fermenta in the indicative here rather than the subjunctive?
Because the sentence states a general, observable fact. When a medida que introduces a progression that is currently happening or generally true, we use the indicative. If this were a future, anticipated event (like 'It will grow as it ferments'), you would need the subjunctive: crecerá a medida que fermente.
Masa madre literally translates to 'mother dough'. Is this the standard way to say 'sourdough starter'?
Yes, masa madre is the universally understood term for a sourdough starter across the Spanish-speaking world. It captures the idea that this active culture acts as the 'mother' or base to create other loaves of bread.
Could I just use mientras instead of a medida que?
You could say mientras fermenta, but it changes the nuance. Mientras simply means two things are happening at the same time ('while it ferments'). A medida que emphasizes parallel progression, meaning 'in proportion to' or 'as'. It tells us the dough grows gradually in step with the fermentation process.
Why is fermenta used without a reflexive pronoun (like se fermenta)?
The verb fermentar can be used intransitively (without a direct object) to mean 'to undergo fermentation', just like in English. While you might occasionally hear people say se fermenta, using the plain verb fermenta is perfectly natural and standard for describing a biological process happening on its own.
Learn La masa madre crece a medida que fermenta and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free