Breakdown of El suero sale cuando prensas el queso.
salir
to go out / to leave
el queso
cheese
cuando
when (statement)
el suero
the whey
Questions & Answers about El suero sale cuando prensas el queso.
Why is prensas in the indicative here instead of the subjunctive (prenses)?
Even though cuando often triggers the subjunctive when talking about a future event (e.g., "when you press it later"), it takes the indicative here because it describes a general fact or scientific routine. Because it is stating what generally happens every time you press the cheese, the indicative is used.
I've seen suero used in hospitals. Does it mean "whey" too?
Yes! While suero translates to "serum" or "IV drip" in a medical context, in cooking and cheese-making it means "whey"—the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled. You will also frequently hear it called suero de leche.
Could I use presionas instead of prensas for "press"?
They aren't quite interchangeable here. Presionar is used for applying physical pressure to something, like pressing a button or pressuring a person. Prensar specifically means to press something in a mold or machine to compact it or extract liquid, which is the exact process used in cheese-making.
Does sale usually translate to "comes out"? I learned it as "to leave" or "to go out."