tomé
/tome/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "I took" is translated as tomé.
Tomé is used to express that you took or consumed something in the past, such as a drink or medicine. It is the simple past tense of the verb tomar, which means "to take". In some contexts, you might use the reflexive form me tomé to emphasize that you took or consumed something specifically for your own benefit, like having a coffee.
Which one should you use?
While tomé refers to a completed action in the past, the form tomaba would be used instead to describe a habitual or ongoing action in the past, such as "I used to take" or "I was taking".
How does it change in a sentence?
The form tomé is the first-person singular indicative preterite of the verb tomar.
How do you pronounce it?
/tome/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, tomé can be a euphemism for having consumed alcohol, even if no specific drink is mentioned.
- The verb tomar also means 'to seize' or 'to capture', so tomé la ciudad means 'I took the city' in a military context, far removed from drinking a coffee.
- In Spain, if you say tomé to mean 'I took a photo', people will understand you, but it is much more common to use saqué (I took out/produced). Using tomar for photos is a common trait of American Spanish speakers.
Examples in context
- Tomé eso en cuenta.I took that into account.Tatoeba #11967788 by Eremon, translation #8089769 by CK
- Le tomé la temperatura.I took his temperature.Tatoeba #5116046 by ecorralest101, translation #5107872 by Catriona
- Me tomé el lunes libre.I took Monday off.Tatoeba #5970745 by arh, translation #5858564 by CK
- Tomé una decisión importante en el trabajo.I took an important decision at work.
- Realicé un examen exhaustivo de los documentos.I took a thorough examination of the documents.
- Agarré el autobús justo a tiempo.I took the bus just in time.
- Ayer agarré el último libro de la estantería.Yesterday I snatched the last book from the shelf.
- La toméI took it
- Solía tomar clases de pianoI used to take piano lessons
- 48 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about their health.
- ElenaMe siento mejor porque tomé mi medicina.I feel better because I took my medicine.
- Mateo¿A qué hora la tomaste, Elena?What time did you take it, Elena?
- ElenaLa tomé después del desayuno.I took it after breakfast.
- MateoQué bueno que ya te sientes bien.It's good that you already feel well.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
