sacar fotos
/sakaɾ fotos/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'take pictures' is translated into Spanish as sacar fotos.
What does it mean word for word?
The verb sacar literally means 'to take out' or 'to extract'.
Which one should you use?
While sacar fotos is very common, tomar fotos is a common alternative used frequently in Latin America.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'take a picture' (singular), you replace the plural 'fotos' with the singular 'una foto'.
How do you pronounce it?
/sakaɾ fotos/
Did you know?
- Because sacar means 'to take out', the phrase sacar fotos conceptually mirrors the old process of removing a physical negative or print from a camera.
- In some parts of Latin America, using the verb tomar for 'to take' is the standard, but in Spain, using tomar fotos can sometimes sound like you are 'drinking' or 'consuming' the photos.
- Spanish uses the same verb sacar for 'taking pictures' as it does for 'getting' a grade in school or 'taking' the trash out.
Examples in context
- Me gusta sacar fotos.I like to take pictures.Tatoeba #2789840 by marcelostockle, translation #3123546 by chajadan
- ¿Puedo sacar fotos aquí?Can I take pictures here?Tatoeba #1077394 by hayastan, translation #61888 by CK
- ¿Podemos sacar fotos aquí?Are we allowed to take pictures here?Tatoeba #769374 by Shishir, translation #61886 by CK
- ¿Puedo tomar fotografías, por favor?Can I take pictures, please?
- ¿Podría tomar fotografías durante el recorrido, por favor?Could I take pictures during the tour, please?
- Disculpe, ¿es posible hacer fotos aquí?Excuse me, is it possible to take pictures here?
- Oye, ¿me echas una foto aquí frente al monumento?Hey, could you take a picture of me here in front of the monument?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are walking through a beautiful botanical garden.
- DanielSofía, las flores son hermosas.Sofía, the flowers are beautiful.
- SofíaSí, ¿quieres sacar fotos de ellas?Yes, do you want to take pictures of them?
- DanielSí, voy a sacar fotos ahora.Yes, I am going to take pictures now.
- Sofía¡Qué buena idea, Daniel!What a great idea, Daniel!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
