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cogió

koh-HEE-ohkoˈxjo

“cogió” means “grabbed” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

grabbed, picked up

Also: took
VerbA2regular (in the preterite tense) er
SpainLatin America (most countries)
A close-up illustration of a hand firmly grabbing a bright red apple from a surface.
infinitivecoger
gerundcogiendo
past Participlecogido

📝 In Action

Ella cogió el teléfono inmediatamente.

A2

She grabbed the phone immediately.

El niño cogió un dulce de la mesa.

A2

The boy picked up a piece of candy from the table.

Usted cogió mi paraguas por error, ¿verdad?

B1

You took my umbrella by mistake, right?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • cogió la maleta – he/she grabbed the suitcase
  • cogió el libro – he/she picked up the book

caught, contracted

Also: got
VerbB1regular (in the preterite tense) er
SpainMexico/Central America
A person's foot stepping onto the lower step of a large yellow bus just before the door closes.
infinitivecoger
gerundcogiendo
past Participlecogido

📝 In Action

Llegó tarde y no cogió el tren de las diez.

B1

He arrived late and didn't catch the ten o'clock train.

Ella cogió un resfriado después de la lluvia.

B2

She caught a cold after the rain.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • atrapó (he/she caught (something in motion))
  • tomó (he/she took (transportation))

Common Collocations

  • cogió el autobús – he/she caught the bus
  • cogió la gripe – he/she caught the flu

Indicative

Present

yocojo
túcoges
él/ella/ustedcoge
nosotroscogemos
vosotroscogéis
ellos/ellas/ustedescogen

Imperfect

yocogía
túcogías
él/ella/ustedcogía
nosotroscogíamos
vosotroscogíais
ellos/ellas/ustedescogían

Preterite

yocogí
túcogiste
él/ella/ustedcogió
nosotroscogimos
vosotroscogisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedescogieron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yocoja
túcojas
él/ella/ustedcoja
nosotroscojamos
vosotroscojáis
ellos/ellas/ustedescojan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yocogiera
túcogieras
él/ella/ustedcogiera
nosotroscogiéramos
vosotroscogierais
ellos/ellas/ustedescogieran
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "cogió" in Spanish:

caught→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: cogió

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses a safe substitute for 'cogió' (in the sense of 'grabbed') when speaking in Mexico?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
coger(to grab, to take) — Verb
recoger(to collect, to pick up) — Verb
la cogida(the act of taking/catching (or a bullfighter's goring)) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
salióvivió
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *colligere*, meaning 'to gather' or 'to collect.' Over time, the meaning shifted from gathering things together to simply taking hold of a single object.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: colherCatalan: collir

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'cogió' a regular or irregular verb form?

'Cogió' itself follows the standard pattern for -er verbs in the simple past (preterite) tense, making it regular in this specific form. However, the base verb 'coger' is considered irregular because its 'yo' form in the present tense ('cojo') changes the 'g' to a 'j'.

Why is this word sometimes considered vulgar?

In Spain, 'coger' means 'to grab' or 'to catch' and is completely normal. However, in almost all of Latin America, the verb 'coger' is considered rude or vulgar slang, meaning 'to have sex.' Always use substitutes like 'tomar' (to take) or 'agarrar' (to grab) when in Latin America.