tomó
“tomó” means “took” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
took, caught
Also: picked up, accepted
📝 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.
drank
Also: had
📝 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.
seized
Also: captured, assumed
📝 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.
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: tomó
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'tomó' in the sense of 'to drink'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'tomar' comes from the Latin word *pomerare*, meaning 'to take,' which itself might be related to *prensiliare*, meaning 'to grab.' It replaced the older Spanish word 'prender' in many contexts.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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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.