ablandamos

Ablandamos is a Spanish verb form from ablandar, meaning to soften or to make something less hard. The word can function as the present indicative for the first-person plural: “we soften,” or, without a change in spelling, as the pretérito indefinido (simple past): “we softened.” The exact tense is determined by context and temporal markers, since both forms share the same spelling in many sentences.

Etymology and meaning: ablandar combines a- with blando, the adjective meaning soft or pliant. The prefix a- conveys causation or alteration, yielding “to make soft.” The core sense extends beyond physical softness to include softening of emotions, attitudes, or negotiations.

Usage in Spanish: In cooking, ablandar refers to tenderizing or softening ingredients, such as ablandar la carne with mechanical or chemical methods, or ablandar pan duro by soaking. In everyday language, it can describe softening a stance or a person’s resolve: “Tratamos de ablandar su posición.” The verb supports metaphorical extensions like ablandar el corazón o ablandar la resistencia de alguien. It also appears in phrases like ablandar fibras, ablandar un tejido, or ablandar una masa, depending on context.

Related forms: Other tenses and moods are formed regularly (ablandas, ablanda, ablandemos, ablanden, etc.). The related noun ablandador (a tenderizer) is used in culinary contexts.

En resumen, ablandamos es una forma común y versátil del verbo ablandar, que denota la acción de hacer blando o más receptivo, ya sea en sentido físico o figurado, y cuya interpretación depende del tiempo verbal y del contexto.