Inklingo

How to Say "they took" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “they took” is “llevaron” — use 'llevaron' when the action implies transporting or moving people or things from one place to another..

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llevaron

lyeh-VAH-rohn/ʝeˈβa.ɾon/

verbA1general
Use 'llevaron' when the action implies transporting or moving people or things from one place to another.
Two people are cooperatively carrying a heavy, large brown box together across a grassy field.

Examples

Los mensajeros llevaron el paquete a la oficina central.

The messengers carried the package to the main office.

Ustedes llevaron mucha comida para la fiesta, ¡gracias!

You (plural, formal) took a lot of food for the party, thank you!

Identifying the Time

'Llevaron' is a single, completed action in the past (preterite tense). It tells us that the carrying/taking started and finished at a specific time.

Llevar vs. Traer

Mistake: “Using 'llevaron' when the action is bringing something *to* the speaker (which should be 'trajeron').”

Correction: 'Llevar' means taking something *away* from the speaker's location; 'traer' means bringing it *to* the speaker.

tomaron

toh-MAH-rohn/toˈmaɾon/

verbA1general
Use 'tomaron' when the action is a physical act of taking hold of an object, or starting an action.
Two cartoon figures, a man and a woman, standing side-by-side. Each person is actively holding a bright red apple in their hand.

Examples

Ellos tomaron el paraguas antes de salir a la lluvia.

They took the umbrella before going out into the rain.

Las niñas tomaron los lápices de la mesa.

The girls picked up the pencils from the table.

Identifying 'Tomaron'

This form always refers to a group of people ('they' or 'you all formal') doing the action in the simple past, meaning the action started and finished at a specific time.

Simple Past vs. Ongoing Past

Mistake: “Using 'tomaron' when the action was repeated or ongoing in the past (e.g., 'They used to take').”

Correction: Use 'tomaban' (the imperfect tense) for repeated or habitual actions: 'Ellos tomaban el bus todos los días.'

Transport vs. Physical Action

Learners often confuse 'llevaron' and 'tomaron' by using 'tomaron' for transport. Remember, if the core idea is moving something or someone to a destination, 'llevaron' is usually the correct choice.

Related Translations

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