cogiendo
/ko-HYEN-do/
taking
A person taking a box.
cogiendo(verb)
taking
?transportation or items
,grabbing
?picking something up
catching
?catching a ball or an illness
📝 In Action
Estoy cogiendo el autobús para ir al trabajo.
A2I am taking the bus to go to work.
Él está cogiendo sus cosas de la mesa.
A1He is grabbing his things from the table.
💡 Grammar Points
The '-ing' form
Cogiendo is a special form of the verb 'coger'. You use it with 'estar' (to be) to describe an action that is happening right at this moment.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Regional Sensitivity
Mistake: "Using 'cogiendo' for 'taking a bus' in Mexico."
Correction: Use 'tomando' instead. In Mexico, 'cogiendo' has a very strong sexual meaning and can be offensive if used in public.
⭐ Usage Tips
When to use it
If you are in Spain, use this word freely for grabbing coffee, taking the metro, or picking up a pen. It is perfectly polite there.
Two birds together in a close embrace.
📝 In Action
Ellos se estaban cogiendo.
C1They were having sex.
💡 Grammar Points
Reflexive use
When people use this to mean sex, they often add 'se' (themselves) to show it's happening between two people.
⭐ Usage Tips
Caution!
This is considered a 'bad word' in many Latin American countries. Do not use it in business or formal settings.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: cogiendo
Question 1 of 2
If you are in Madrid and say 'Estoy cogiendo el metro', what do people think?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'cogiendo' always a bad word?
No! In Spain, it is a very common, polite word for 'taking' or 'grabbing'. However, in most of Latin America, it is slang for having sex. Use 'tomando' to be safe everywhere.
Why does 'coger' change to 'cojo' in the 'I' form?
In Spanish, we want to keep the 'H' sound (like in 'hot'). If we kept the 'G', it would sound like 'go' (co-go). Changing it to 'J' keeps the sound correct.