Inklingo

escoger

es-koh-HEHRes.koˈxeɾ

escoger means to choose in Spanish (making a selection).

to choose, to selectAlso: to pick out

VerbA1regular (-er verb) with a spelling change in the 'yo' form er
A simple illustration showing a hand selecting a single red apple from a group of three colorful apples (red, green, and yellow) resting on a wooden table.
infinitiveescoger
gerundescogiendo
past Participleescogido

📝 In Action

Tienes que escoger un regalo para tu madre.

A1

You have to choose a gift for your mother.

Yo siempre escojo el camino más fácil.

A2

I always choose the easiest path.

¿Qué carrera universitaria escogiste?

B1

What university major did you choose?

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • escoger biento choose wisely
  • escoger una opciónto pick an option

Indicative

Present

yoescojo
escoges
él/ella/ustedescoge
nosotrosescogemos
vosotrosescogéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesescogen

Imperfect

yoescogía
escogías
él/ella/ustedescogía
nosotrosescogíamos
vosotrosescogíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesescogían

Preterite

yoescogí
escogiste
él/ella/ustedescogió
nosotrosescogimos
vosotrosescogisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesescogieron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yoescoja
escojas
él/ella/ustedescoja
nosotrosescojamos
vosotrosescojáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesescojan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoescogiera/escogiese
escogieras/escogieses
él/ella/ustedescogiera/escogiese
nosotrosescogiéramos/escogiésemos
vosotrosescogierais/escogieseis
ellos/ellas/ustedesescogieran/escogiesen

🔀 Commonly Confused With

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "escoger" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: escoger

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the 'yo' form of 'escoger'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
elección(choice, election)Noun
escogido(chosen, selected (adjective))Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb *excolligere*, which meant 'to gather' or 'to pick out.' Over time, this evolved in Spanish to mean 'to make a selection.'

First recorded: Medieval Spanish (approx. 13th century)

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: escolher

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'escoger' the same as 'elegir'?

They both mean 'to choose' and are often interchangeable. 'Escoger' is slightly more common for simple, everyday selections, while 'elegir' can sometimes sound a bit more formal or be used for elections and important life decisions.

Why does 'escoger' change spelling in the present tense 'yo' form?

This is a common pattern in Spanish verbs ending in -ger. The 'g' changes to a 'j' before the letter 'o' (escojo) to ensure the sound remains the same hard 'h' sound (like the 'ch' in Scottish 'loch') that the verb usually has.