Learn Spanish (Spain): Primero pelas las cebollas y luego las cortas en trozos. - First you peel the onions and then you cut them into pieces.

In Spanish, it is very common to use the present indicative (the standard present tense) to give step-by-step instructions, describe a recipe, or explain how to do something. It sounds conversational and less bossy than using the true imperative (command) forms like pela and corta.

The English translation says 'into pieces'. Why does the Spanish use the preposition en?

When talking about dividing or breaking something into smaller parts, Spanish uses en. English speakers often want to translate 'into' literally, but verbs like cortar (to cut) and dividir (to divide) naturally pair with en. Therefore, 'to cut into pieces' is always expressed as cortar en trozos.

Could I say cortas en pedazos instead of cortas en trozos?

Yes, both trozos and pedazos translate to 'pieces' and are highly interchangeable here. However, trozos often implies a more deliberate, clean cut (like preparing food), whereas pedazos can sometimes imply that something was broken, torn, or shattered irregularly. In a Spanish kitchen, trozos is the preferred everyday word.

Could I use después instead of luego here to mean 'then'?