The preterite of tomar is used to express when you took or drank something at a specific moment in the past. For example, you might say “I took the medicine this morning,” indicating a single, completed action.
This is a regular -ar verb that follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern. The endings are added directly to the stem ‘tom-‘ without any changes.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Tomar (to take/drink) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | tomé |
| Tú | tomaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | tomó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | tomamos |
| 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 expresses completed acts of taking or consuming.
Took/Grabbed: Indicates taking something specific, for example Tomé el bus a las tres (I took the bus at three). Also used for drinking, as in Tomó un café esta mañana (He/she had a coffee this morning).
Drank: In casual context, often means drinking alcohol, for example Tomaron demasiado en la fiesta (They drank too much at the party).
Examples
Examples of Tomar in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Tomé un café esta mañana. (I had a coffee this morning.)
¿Tomaste las pastillas? (Did you take the pills?)
El jefe tomó una decisión importante. (The boss made an important decision.)
Tomamos el autobús al centro. (We took the bus downtown.)
Los estudiantes tomaron notas durante la clase. (The students took notes during class.)
Tomé una siesta después del almuerzo. (I took a nap after lunch.)
¿Por qué no tomaste el medicamento? (Why didn’t you take the medicine?)
Mi hermana tomó muchas fotos en la fiesta. (My sister took many photos at the party.)
Tomamos el camino equivocado. (We took the wrong path.)
Los invitados tomaron champán para celebrar. (The guests drank champagne to celebrate.)
Tomé el libro de la biblioteca. (I took the book from the library.)
¿Tomaste el desayuno hoy? (Did you have breakfast today?)
El niño tomó la mano de su madre. (The child took his mother’s hand.)
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.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Tomar (to take/drink) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo tomé | I took |
| Tú tomaste | You took |
| Él / Ella / Usted tomó | He / She / You took |
| Nosotros / Nosotras tomamos | We took |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes tomaron | They / You all took |
This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.