The Present Tense of Coger is used to describe actions happening at the present moment or habitual actions. For example, Cojo la manzana. (I take the apple.)

Coger is a spelling-changing verb that follows the -ger to -ja conjugation pattern in the present tense. The g changes to a j before the vowel endings.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Coger (to take) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Coger generally means to take, grab or catch something, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To take or grab: for example, Cojo la manzana (I take the apple).

To catch: for example, Cojo el autobús (I catch the bus).

To pick up: for example, Cojo mis llaves (I pick up my keys).

To understand (colloquial): for example, No cojo lo que dices (I don’t understand what you’re saying).

To have sex (vulgar): for example, Cojo con mi novia (I have sex with my girlfriend). Warning: this usage is extremely vulgar and should be avoided.

Examples

Examples of Coger in the Present Tense

Yo cojo el autobús para ir al trabajo. (I take the bus to go to work.)

¿Tú coges el tren o prefieres manejar? (Do you take the train or do you prefer to drive?)

Ella coge un café antes de salir de casa. (She gets a coffee before leaving home.)

Nosotros cogemos un descanso después del almuerzo. (We take a break after lunch.)

¿Cogéis el mismo camino todos los días? (Do you take the same route every day?)

Ellos cogen un taxi cuando llueve. (They take a taxi when it rains.)

Mi amiga coge clases de baile los martes. (My friend takes dance classes on Tuesdays.)

¿Cogemos la autopista o la carretera vieja? (Should we take the highway or the old road?)

Mis padres cogen un crucero cada año. (My parents take a cruise every year.)

¿Coges el atajo por el parque? (Do you take the shortcut through the park?)

Nosotros cogemos un descanso de las redes sociales de vez en cuando. (We take a break from social media every now and then.)

Ellos cogen un vuelo temprano para evitar el tráfico. (They take an early flight to avoid traffic.)

¿Cogéis el mismo camino de siempre? (Do you take the same route as always?)

Ella coge un libro para leer en el parque. (She takes a book to read in the park.)

Yo cojo un respiro después de un día agitado. (I take a breather after a hectic day.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Coger (to take) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.