The preterite of tomar is used to express when you took or drank something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I took a coffee this morning” – “Tomé un café esta mañana.”
This is a regular -ar verb that follows standard preterite conjugation patterns. Remember to add an accent mark over the ‘e’ in the yo form (tomé).
Conjugations
Conjugations of Tomar (to take/drink) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | tomé |
| Tú | tomaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | tomó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | tomamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | tomasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | tomaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Tomar (to take/drink) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Tomar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of tomar describes completed actions of taking or consuming.
To take/grab: Indicates taking possession of something, for example Tomé el libro de la mesa (I took the book from the table).
To drink: Refers to consuming beverages, for example Tomaron café después de cenar (They had coffee after dinner).
Examples
Examples of Tomar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Tomé un café esta mañana. (I had a coffee this morning.)
¿Qué autobús tomaste? (Which bus did you take?)
Ella tomó una decisión importante. (She made an important decision.)
Tomamos fotos en la playa. (We took pictures at the beach.)
Los estudiantes tomaron notas durante la clase. (The students took notes during class.)
Tomé el tren equivocado. (I took the wrong train.)
¿Por qué tomaste mis llaves? (Why did you take my keys?)
El doctor tomó mi temperatura. (The doctor took my temperature.)
Tomamos un taxi al aeropuerto. (We took a taxi to the airport.)
Los atletas tomaron agua después del ejercicio. (The athletes drank water after exercise.)
Tomé prestado tu libro. (I borrowed your book.)
¿Tomaste tu medicina? (Did you take your medicine?)
El equipo tomó el primer lugar. (The team took first place.)
Tomamos un descanso de diez minutos. (We took a ten-minute break.)
Ellos tomaron el camino más largo. (They took the longer path.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Tomar (to take/drink) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo tomé | I took |
| Tú tomaste | You took |
| Él / Ella / Usted tomó | He / She / You (formal) took |
| Nosotros / Nosotras tomamos | We took |
| Vosotros / Vosotras tomasteis | You all took |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes tomaron | They / You all (formal) took |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.