Spanish Phrase
Haz cortes horizontales y verticales.
Meaning
The sentence is a direct instruction telling someone to make both horizontal and vertical cuts. It is commonly heard in cooking, sewing, paper‑craft, or any activity that requires a grid‑like pattern of cuts.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are giving step‑by‑step directions that involve cutting, such as a recipe that calls for a criss‑cross pattern, a craft tutorial, or a woodworking guide.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Hazcorteshorizontalesyverticales.
Imperative of hacer
"Haz" is the informal (tú) imperative form of the verb "hacer" meaning "to do/make".
Noun‑adjective agreement
"cortes" is a masculine plural noun, so the adjectives "horizontales" and "verticales" must also be masculine plural.
Coordinating conjunction "y"
"y" links two adjectives of equal importance, indicating both actions should be performed.
Punctuation
The period ends the command; in spoken Spanish the tone rises slightly at the end of an imperative.
🗨In Conversation
¿Cómo debo preparar la masa para la tarta?
How should I prepare the dough for the tart?
Haz cortes horizontales y verticales.
Make horizontal and vertical cuts.
✕Common Mistakes
Haces cortes horizontales y verticales.
"Haces" is present indicative; the command requires the imperative "Haz".
Haz corte horizontal y vertical.
The noun should be plural because you are making more than one cut.
Haz cortes horizontales o verticales.
Using "o" would change the meaning to "either/or" instead of "both".
↔Alternatives
Realiza cortes horizontales y verticales.
Perform horizontal and vertical cuts.
Haz líneas horizontales y verticales.
Draw horizontal and vertical lines.
Corta en forma horizontal y vertical.
Cut in a horizontal and vertical way.
Cultural Tip
"Haz" is informal; if you are speaking to someone you don't know well or to a superior, use the formal imperative "Haga" (e.g., "Haga cortes horizontales y verticales."). Also, in many Latin American countries the "c" in "Haz" is pronounced /s/ rather than the European /θ/.