Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Cook in Spanish — Cocinar, Cocinero & Kitchen Verbs
Cocinar · verb · koh-see-NAR
Cook translates to cocinar when used as a verb (the action of preparing food) and to cocinero or cocinera when used as a noun (the person who cooks). Cocinar is a regular -ar verb, making it one of the easiest to conjugate: yo cocino, tú cocinas, él cocina. For more specific cooking methods, Spanish offers guisar (to stew), hornear (to bake), and freír (to fry).
Cocinar is pronounced koh-see-NAR with three syllables and the stress on the final syllable. Cocinero is koh-see-NEH-roh; cocinera is koh-see-NEH-rah.
A mi madre le encanta cocinar los fines de semana.
My mother loves to cook on weekends.
Cook in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for cook, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| cocinar | cook | koh-see-NAR | Default, widely understood |
| cocinero | cook | cook / chef (masculine noun) | |
| cocinera | cook | cook / chef (feminine noun) | |
| guisar | cook | to cook by stewing or braising |
How Native Speakers Use Cocinar
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Verb — preparing food
¿Quién va a cocinar esta noche?
Who's going to cook tonight?
Planning dinner at home.
Noun — the person
El cocinero del restaurante es de Oaxaca.
The cook at the restaurant is from Oaxaca.
Talking about restaurant staff.
Specific cooking method
Mi abuela guisa las lentejas a fuego lento durante horas.
My grandmother stews lentils on low heat for hours.
Describing a traditional home-cooked dish.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cocinar
Using cocinar for the person
Incorrect: El cocinar preparó una paella increíble.
Correct: El cocinero preparó una paella increíble.
Cocinar is the verb (to cook). The person is cocinero (male) or cocinera (female). Mixing them up is like saying 'the to-cook' instead of 'the cook.'
Wrong verb for baking
Incorrect: Voy a cocinar un pastel en el horno.
Correct: Voy a hornear un pastel en el horno.
While cocinar is technically understood, hornear (to bake) is the precise verb when you're using an oven. Spanish distinguishes cooking methods more specifically than English.
Lock in Cook Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Cocinar used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cocinar in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear A mi madre le encanta cocinar los fines de semana. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
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Common Questions About Cook in Spanish
- What's the difference between cocinero and chef in Spanish?
- Cocinero/cocinera is the everyday word for anyone who cooks, whether at home or professionally. Chef (borrowed from French) implies formal training and is used in professional culinary settings. Both are widely understood.
- How do I conjugate cocinar in the present tense?
- Cocinar is a regular -ar verb: yo cocino, tú cocinas, él/ella cocina, nosotros cocinamos, ustedes cocinan, ellos cocinan. No stem changes or irregularities.
- What's the difference between cocinar and guisar?
- Cocinar is the general verb for cooking anything. Guisar specifically means to cook by stewing or braising — slow-cooking ingredients in liquid. In some regions, guisar is used colloquially as a synonym for cocinar.