Inklingo

How to Say "to pick" in Spanish

The Spanish word forto pickis elegirA2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA2
verbA2
informal choice
A small hand reaching out to select one brightly colored red apple from a basket containing two other different fruits, illustrating selection.

Examples

¿Qué postre vas a elegir?

Which dessert are you going to choose?

Ella siempre elige el camino más difícil.

She always chooses the most difficult path.

Elegimos este color para la sala.

We selected this color for the living room.

The 'Yo' Form Exception

In the present tense, the 'yo' form changes its spelling from 'elegir' to 'elijo'. The 'g' turns into a 'j' to keep the sound consistent across all verb forms.

Vowel Change (e → i)

This verb is a 'boot verb' that shortens the vowel 'e' to 'i' in many forms, including the gerund ('eligiendo') and the preterite 3rd person ('él/ella eligió').

Missing the 'J' change

Mistake:Yo elego (like a regular verb).

Correction: Say 'Yo elijo'. Remember, the 'g' needs to change to a 'j' when it comes before an 'o' or an 'a' sound.

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.