Learn Spanish (Latin America): La masa necesita más agua a medida que añades la harina. - The dough needs more water as you add the flour.

A medida que takes the indicative when describing a general fact, a habit, or an experienced progression. Because this sentence states a general cooking rule (the dough always needs more water as you add the flour), we use the indicative añades. If we were talking about an anticipated action in the future (e.g., 'The dough will need more water as you add the flour later'), we would use the subjunctive añadas.

What is the difference between using a medida que and mientras in this sentence?

Both can translate to 'as' or 'while,' but a medida que highlights a gradual, parallel progression. It tells us that one action changes in proportion to the other (the more flour you add, the more water it needs). Mientras simply means two actions are happening at the same time, without emphasizing that proportional, gradual change.

Could I use según instead of a medida que?

Yes! Según is often used interchangeably with a medida que to mean 'as' in the sense of things progressing at the same pace. Saying según añades la harina sounds very natural and slightly more conversational, while keeping the exact same meaning and requiring the indicative mood.

Why do we use the article in la harina when English just says 'add flour'?