¡toma!
The English phrase "oh burn!" is expressed in Spanish as ¡toma!
¡toma! is an exclamation used to celebrate a witty comeback or a moment where someone has been effectively shut down in an argument. It serves as a reaction when someone has been insulted or mocked in a clever way.
Which one should you use?
While ¡toma! is the most common way to express this, you can also use ¡toma ya! for added emphasis.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¡toma! is an informal expression and is most commonly used among friends or in casual settings.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, you can say ¡Qué buena chicana! to express admiration for a successful burn. This uses the word chicana to refer to a taunt or a clever remark. Additionally, ¡Qué zasca! is an onomatopoeic interjection that can be used to mean "Oh burn!" or "Ouch!"
Did you know?
- While ¡toma! is used to mean 'oh burn!', its literal meaning is 'take it' or 'here, take it'. It is the imperative form of the verb 'tomar', which means 'to take'.
- The term zasca can function as a noun, allowing you to say that you 'delivered' a zasca to someone else.
- The exclamation ¡zasca! is actually an onomatopoeia designed to mimic the physical sound of a sharp, sudden strike or a blow landing.
Examples in context
- ¡Toma!, te lo ha dicho.Oh burn!, she really told you.
- ¡Toma!, qué buena respuesta.Oh burn!, what a good comeback.
- ¡Toma!, no te ha dejado ni hablar.Oh burn!, he didn't even let you speak.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucia are chatting with friends.
- MateoMira lo que dijo Juan sobre su coche.Look at what Juan said about his car.
- LucíaNo puede creerlo, fue muy duro.He can't believe it, that was very harsh.
- Mateo¡Toma! No sabía que Juan fuera tan directo.Burn! I didn't know Juan was so blunt.
- LucíaSe lo merecía por presumir tanto.He deserved it for bragging so much.
