Spanish Phrase
Prepara las verduras con tiempo.
Meaning
The sentence is a friendly command telling someone to get the vegetables ready ahead of schedule, so the cooking process will be smoother. It emphasizes planning rather than rushing at the last minute.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re coordinating a meal, giving cooking advice, or reminding a friend to start prepping the veggies early. It works in both casual home kitchens and more formal cooking classes.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Preparalasverdurascontiempo
Imperative (tú) of preparar
‘Prepara’ is the affirmative tú‑command of the -ar verb preparar; drop the -s from the present tú form (preparas) and add -a.
Definite article ‘las’
‘las’ is the plural feminine definite article, matching the noun ‘verduras’.
Noun ‘verduras’
‘Verduras’ is a plural feminine noun meaning ‘vegetables’; it often refers to a mix of fresh garden produce.
Preposition ‘con’
‘con’ means ‘with’; in this construction it links the verb phrase to the noun ‘tiempo’ to express ‘with time / in advance’.
Noun ‘tiempo’
‘tiempo’ means ‘time’; the phrase ‘con tiempo’ is an idiomatic way to say ‘ahead of time’ or ‘with enough time’.
🗨In Conversation
¿A qué hora vas a empezar a cocinar?
What time are you going to start cooking?
Voy a preparar las verduras con tiempo para que todo salga rápido.
I’ll prepare the vegetables ahead of time so everything turns out quickly.
✕Common Mistakes
Prepara las verduras a tiempo.
‘a tiempo’ means ‘on time’, not ‘in advance’. Use ‘con tiempo’ for the intended meaning.
Prepara el verduras con tiempo.
‘Verduras’ is feminine plural, so the article must be ‘las’, not ‘el’.
Preparar las verduras con tiempo.
Missing the imperative; this is an infinitive phrase, not a command.
↔Alternatives
Prepara las verduras con antelación.
Prepare the vegetables in advance.
Prepara las verduras con anticipación.
Prepare the vegetables with anticipation.
Haz las verduras con tiempo.
Make the vegetables with time.
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking households, cooking is a communal activity and ingredients are often pre‑chopped or pre‑cooked the day before a big meal. Saying ‘con tiempo’ signals respect for that tradition of planning. The imperative form ‘prepara’ is informal but polite; in a more formal setting you could use ‘prepare’ (usted) or a softer suggestion like ‘Podrías preparar…’.