Breakdown of Añadimos la harina a medida que amasamos.
añadir
to add
a medida que
as / at the same time as (progression)
amasar
to knead
la harina
the flour
Questions & Answers about Añadimos la harina a medida que amasamos.
Why do we use the indicative amasamos after a medida que instead of the subjunctive?
We use the indicative here because the sentence describes a habitual action or a process that is currently being experienced as a fact. If this were an instruction for a future, anticipated event (like 'We will add the flour as we knead'), you would use the subjunctive: añadiremos la harina a medida que amasemos.
Could I just use mientras instead of a medida que? What's the difference?
You could use mientras (while), but a medida que is more specific. It translates to 'as' or 'in proportion as' and carries a strong sense of parallel progression. It emphasizes that the adding of the flour happens gradually and in direct proportion to the progress of the kneading.
Since añadimos and amasamos look exactly the same in both the present and past (preterite) tenses, could this sentence be in the past?
Grammatically, yes. Out of context, this could also mean 'We added the flour as we kneaded.' However, recipes and general instructions are almost always given in the present tense. If it were meant as a past event, it would still take the indicative because the progression was actually experienced, not just anticipated.
Is the verb amasar (to knead) related to the Spanish word for dough?