tomó
/toh-MOH/
took
Tomó (took) the apple.
tomó(Verb)
took
?to take an object or action
,caught
?to catch transportation
picked up
?to pick up an item
,accepted
?to accept a suggestion
📝 In Action
Ella tomó mi mano y caminamos juntos.
A1She took my hand and we walked together.
Mi jefe tomó un avión a Madrid ayer.
A2My boss took a plane to Madrid yesterday.
Él tomó una foto del paisaje.
A1He took a picture of the landscape.
💡 Grammar Points
The Single Past Action
Tomó describes an action that started and finished completely in the past, like a snapshot in time. It translates to the simple English past tense, 'took'.
Who Did the Action?
Tomó is used when the person doing the action is 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), or 'usted' (formal you).
⭐ Usage Tips
Transportation Tip
Use 'tomó' (from 'tomar') for catching buses, trains, or planes, not 'coger', which can sound rude in many Latin American countries.
Tomó (drank) his coffee.
📝 In Action
¿Qué tomó su padre en el restaurante?
A1What did his father drink/have at the restaurant?
La niña tomó toda la sopa que le dimos.
A2The girl ate/consumed all the soup we gave her.
💡 Grammar Points
Drinking vs. Taking
In Spanish, 'tomar' covers both 'to take' and 'to drink.' You'll often hear 'tomó un café' (he drank a coffee) instead of using 'bebió'.
Tomó (seized) the hill.
tomó(Verb)
seized
?power, control, or location
captured
?military or police action
,assumed
?role or responsibility
📝 In Action
El dictador tomó el poder hace veinte años.
B2The dictator seized power twenty years ago.
La policía tomó la casa después del asalto.
B1The police took control of the house after the assault.
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
When used with abstract nouns like 'control' or 'responsabilidad', 'tomó' means to start carrying out a duty or to capture authority.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: tomó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'tomó' in the sense of 'to drink'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
If 'tomó' means 'he took' and 'he drank,' how do I know the difference?
You know based on the word that follows it! If the word is a liquid (like café, agua, vino), it means 'drank.' If it's a solid object (like un libro, una llave) or transportation (un bus, un taxi), it means 'took.'
Why does 'tomó' have an accent mark?
The accent mark is required to show the stress falls on the last syllable (to-MÓ), distinguishing it from the present tense 'tomo' (I take), where the stress falls on the first syllable.