Why Tomar Is More Than "To Take"
Tomar means to take and to drink — and from those two meanings it branches into decisions, jokes, attitudes, and notes. Some of these chunks are everyday social phrases; others are fixed idioms that make no sense word by word. Learn them as wholes.
Pattern 1: Tomar algo — "To have a drink"
The classic social invitation. Tomar algo means going for a drink or a light bite — it's vague on purpose, and that's what makes it so natural. It's the standard way to suggest meeting up informally.
- ¿Quieres tomar algo? — Do you want something to drink?
- Vamos a tomar algo después del trabajo. — Let's go for a drink after work.
- ¿Qué van a tomar? — What will you have?
Chunk to learn:
Tomar algo — to have a drink / something to eat
Pattern 2: Tomar una decisión — "To make a decision"
A fixed collocation. English says make a decision; Spanish says take it. The same verb also works with medidas (measures) and precauciones (precautions).
- Tenemos que tomar una decisión hoy. — We have to make a decision today.
- Tomó la decisión de mudarse. — She made the decision to move.
- El gobierno tomó medidas urgentes. — The government took urgent measures.
Chunk to learn:
Tomar una decisión / tomar medidas — to make a decision / take measures
Pattern 3: Tomar el pelo — "To pull someone's leg"
A fixed idiom for teasing or fooling someone. It's usually lighthearted, but it can also express irritation when someone suspects they're being made fun of. Literally, to take the hair.
- ¿Me estás tomando el pelo? — Are you pulling my leg?
- Me tomó el pelo con esa historia. — He had me on with that story.
- No me tomes el pelo, dime la verdad. — Don't mess with me, tell me the truth.
Chunk to learn:
Tomar el pelo (a alguien) — to pull someone's leg / tease
Pattern 4: Tomar en cuenta — "To take into account"
Used for factoring something into a decision or judgment. A regional note: tomar en cuenta is the usual form in Latin America, while in Spain tener en cuenta is more common. Both are understood everywhere.
- Hay que tomar en cuenta el presupuesto. — We have to take the budget into account.
- No tomaron en cuenta mi opinión. — They didn't take my opinion into account.
- Toma en cuenta que el lunes estará cerrado. — Keep in mind it'll be closed on Monday.
Chunk to learn:
Tomar en cuenta (LatAm) / Tener en cuenta (Spain) — to take into account
Pattern 5: Tomárselo con calma / en serio — How you take things
The reflexive form with lo describes your attitude toward something — how seriously, how calmly, how personally you take it. It's very common in advice and in describing character.
- Tómatelo con calma, todavía hay tiempo. — Take it easy, there's still time.
- Se toma el trabajo muy en serio. — He takes his work very seriously.
- No te lo tomes como algo personal. — Don't take it personally.
Chunk to learn:
Tomárselo + [con calma / en serio / como algo personal] — to take it a certain way
Pattern 6: Tomar nota — "To take note"
Used both literally (writing something down) and figuratively (acknowledging that you've registered something and will act on it). The figurative use is especially common in work and customer-service contexts.
- Voy a tomar nota de tus comentarios. — I'll take note of your comments.
- Toma nota, que te voy a dar la dirección. — Write this down, I'm going to give you the address.
- Tomo nota de lo que me dices. — I've noted what you're telling me.
Chunk to learn:
Tomar nota (de + [noun]) — to take note / write down
Drinks, Decisions, Attitudes
Tomar is one of those verbs where the dictionary gives you the starting point and the chunks give you the language. Tomar una decisión and tomar el pelo are nothing like to take — but learned as units, they become automatic.
Start with ¿quieres tomar algo? and tómatelo con calma — one for socializing, one for reassuring someone, both immediately useful.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.