Spanish Phrase
Marina el tofu antes de cocinarlo.
Meaning
‘Marina el tofu antes de cocinarlo’ means ‘Marinate the tofu before you cook it.’ The sentence tells you to let the tofu soak in a flavored liquid first, which is the secret to a tasty, well‑seasoned final dish.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are giving cooking instructions, writing a recipe, or advising a friend who is preparing a vegan or vegetarian meal. It works both in written recipes and spoken kitchen chatter.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Marinaeltofuantesdecocinarlo
Imperative (tú) – Marina
‘Marina’ is the affirmative tú‑imperative of the verb *marinar* (to marinate). It is used to give a direct command.
Definite article with a foreign noun – el tofu
Even though *tofu* is a loanword, it follows the same gender rules as native nouns; it is masculine, so we use *el*.
Prepositional phrase – antes de
‘antes de’ introduces a temporal clause meaning ‘before’. It is always followed by an infinitive.
Infinitive with clitic pronoun – cocinarlo
The infinitive *cocinar* attaches the direct‑object pronoun *lo* to indicate ‘it’ (the tofu).
🗨In Conversation
Marina el tofu antes de cocinarlo.
Marinate the tofu before cooking it.
¡Buena idea! Así quedará más sabroso.
Good idea! That way it will be more flavorful.
✕Common Mistakes
Marinar el tofu antes de cocinarlo.
In a command you need the imperative form ‘Marina’, not the infinitive ‘marinar’.
Marina el tofu antes de cocinar.
If you omit the pronoun you lose the reference to the tofu; the sentence would sound incomplete.
Marina la tofu antes de cocinarlo.
Some learners mistakenly use the feminine article ‘la’ because ‘tofu’ sounds like a feminine word in English. In Spanish it is masculine.
↔Alternatives
Deja el tofu en la salsa al menos 30 minutos antes de cocinarlo.
Leave the tofu in the sauce for at least 30 minutes before cooking it.
Sazona el tofu y déjalo reposar antes de freírlo.
Season the tofu and let it rest before frying it.
Haz que el tofu absorba el adobo antes de asarlo.
Let the tofu absorb the marinade before grilling it.
Cultural Tip
Tofu is not a traditional Spanish ingredient, but it has become popular in Spain’s growing vegan and vegetarian scene. Because tofu is relatively bland on its own, marinating it is essential to give it the bold flavors typical of Mediterranean and Latin American cuisine. When cooking for Spanish speakers, you can mention familiar flavor profiles—like smoked paprika, garlic, or sherry vinegar—to make the dish feel more local.