logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
logo
  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class

855-997-4652LoginTry a Free Class

  • Programs
    • Preschool
    • Elementary School
    • Middle School
    • High School
    • Adults
    • School Solutions
  • School Solutions
  • Pricing
  • How it Works
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • My Cart
  • Login
  • Try a Free Class
May 8, 2021 by Faustina Mulnik Spanish Grammar 0 comments

45 Ways to Say ‘To Take’ in Spanish (Plus Common Idioms)

There are a mind-blowing amount of ways to say “to take” in Spanish! 

It’s one of those English words that we use for just about everything. No matter what type of “to take” in Spanish you need, this post will help you find the proper translation!

‘To Take’ in Spanish

We’re going to go over all the ways to say “to take” in Spanish along with each of its different meanings. It’s a long list for just one verb, but with these easy examples and straightforward English definitions, the learning won’t take long at all!

1. To get possession of – tomar

Tomó el libro y fue a la biblioteca. 
He took the book and went to the library.

2. To travel by — coger, tomar, ir en 

Tomemos un taxi.
Let’s take a taxi.

Coge el autobús número 15.
Take bus number 15.

3. To snatch (from someone) — arrebatar 

El ladrón trató de arrebatarle la cartera a María.
The thief tried to take Maria’s purse. 

4. To remove, to pick — coger 

Cogió la manzana más grande del árbol.
He took the largest apple from the tree.

to take in Spanish

5. To hold — coger 

Coge bien el cuchillo o te cortarás.
Hold the knife properly or you will cut yourself.

6. To transport a thing or person – llevar

Lleva los platos sucios a la cocina.
Take the dirty plates to the kitchen.

7. To require — necesitar, requerir, llevar

Necesita mucho coraje. 
It takes a lot of courage.

8. To require or wear a certain size/type of clothing — calzar (for shoes), usar (for clothing)

En verano se vuelven a usar los pantalones cortos y las faldas.
In summer, they take to shorts and skirts again.

Yo calzo una talla 9.
I take a size 9.

9. To last, to use time — durar

La película dura dos horas aproximadamente.
The film takes approximately two hours.

10. To study — estudiar

Estudio psicología. 
I’m taking psychology.

11. To chase, to go after — perseguir

La policía persiguió al criminal.
The police took after the criminal.

12. To resemble — parecerse

Cassandra se parece a su abuela. 
Cassandra takes after her grandmother.

13. To take apart — desmontar

Desmontó el carro. 
She took the car apart.

14. To take away, to take from, to take off — quitar

Le quité la carta que le había escrito.
I took the letter I had written away from him.

15. To take away, to take off — sustraer, restar 

El mesero sustrajo nuestros platos vacíos.
The waiter took away our empty plates.

16. To take back — devolver 

Devolvieron al prisionero a la cárcel tras haberse escapado.
The prisoner was taken back to prison after having escaped.

17. To take cover — esconderse, ocultarse 

Se escondió de la policía. 
She took cover from the police.

18. To take down (to dismantle) — desmontar 

El fontanero desmontó la cisterna.
The plumber dismantled the toilet tank.

19. To take an exam or test — presentar un examen

Muchos estudiantes se estresan cuando tienen que presentar un examen.
Many students get stressed when they have to take an exam.

20. To take down, to take notes — anotar, escribir, tomar apuntes 

Anoté las cosas más importantes que se mencionaron en la junta.
I took notes of the most important things mentioned at the meeting.

21. To take (someone) for — tomar por  

¿Me tomas por tonto?
Do you take me for a fool?

22. To take in (to trick) — engañar 

El farsante me engañó.
The liar tricked me.

23. To take in (to understand) — comprender 

No pudo comprender la información. 
He couldn’t take in the information.

24. To take in (to include) — incluir, abarcar 

El parque incluye dos lagos. 
The park takes in two lakes.

25. To take in (to provide lodging for) — acoger 

Acogimos un gatito callejero la semana pasada.
We took in a stray cat last week.

26. To take off (to go away) — irse 

Se fue como un murciélago. 
He took off like a bat.

27. To take off weight — adelgazar 

Estoy tratando de adelgazar.
I’m trying to lose weight.

28. To take out (to remove) — sacar 

Sacan la basura cinco veces al día en el restaurante.
They take out the trash five times a day at the restaurant.

29. To take over (to assume operations) — absorber, adquirir, apoderarse 

El rey se apoderó de todas sus propiedades.
The king took over all of their property.

30. To take a picture — tomar una foto, hacer una foto 

Tomé una foto maravillosa de las montañas.
I took a wonderful picture of the mountains.

31. To take prisoner — capturar

El policía capturó al ladrón. 
The policeman took the thief prisoner.

32. To take up (to begin) — dedicarse a 

Se dedicó a nadar. 
She took up swimming.

33. To take a walk — dar un paseo 

Vamos a dar un paseo después de cenar.
Let’s take a walk after dinner.

34. To take on (to accept or assume responsibility) — aceptar, asumir

No puedo aceptar la responsabilidad. 
I can’t accept the responsibility.

35. To take on (to employ) — emplear, coger

Empleamos tres trabajadores nuevos. 
We took on three new workers.

36. To take out (on a date) — salir con

Carlos salió con Jasmin anoche.
Carlos took Jasmin out last night.

37. To take care of (responsibilities) — encargarse de, ocuparse de

¿Te puedes encargar de preparar la sala para nuestra reunión?
Can you take care of preparing the room for our meeting?

Debes ocuparte de esa infracción antes de tener más problemas.
You need to take care of that ticket before you have more trouble.

38. To take care of (a person) — cuidar de

El médico decidió que mi abuelo ya no podía cuidar de sí mismo.
The doctor decided my grandfather was no longer able to take care of himself.

39. To take in (grasp) — tomar conciencia de

Miró a su alrededor y, por primera vez, empezó a tomar conciencia de lo que la rodeaba.
She looked around and for the first time began to take in her surroundings.

40. To take pity on — compadecerse de 

Fuiste muy amable al compadecerte de mí.
You were very kind to take pity on me.

How to Recreate English Idioms that Use ‘to Take’ in Spanish

English is full of interesting (and sometimes goofy) idioms! 

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. For example, when I say I’m going to “take a bath,” I don’t actually mean I’m going to carry the tub with me! 

Silly phrases like these develop over time. Language is fluid and always changing! This makes it full of quirky creations like idioms. 

Let’s take a look at some below.

1. To take a bath or shower — bañarse, ducharse

Necesito bañarme
I need to take a bath. 

Debería ducharse después del trabajo.
He should shower after work. 

2. To take one’s word for it — creer 

Voy a creerte. 
I’m going to take your word for it.

3. To take a break, to take a rest — tomarse un descanso

El deportista tiene planeado tomarse un descanso una vez que acabe el torneo.
The athlete plans to take a break once the tournament is over.

4. To take it out on someone — desquitarse con alguien

No es justo que te desquites conmigo.
It’s not fair for you to take it out on me.

5. Take a look — mirar, ojear

Cuando empezó a nevar, los niños corrieron a la ventana a mirar.
When it started to snow, the children all ran to the window to take a look.

Ojea este libro, por favor.
Take a look at this book, please.

Sign Up for a Free Class to Practice All of These Useful Spanish Verbs!

Pat yourself on the back for completely mastering “to take” in Spanish! There are lots of other versatile verbs in Spanish to add to your vocabulary. Our friendly, certified teachers from Guatemala can help you translate your favorite words and phrases into Spanish. Become part of the HSA family and join our 24,000 monthly active students. Sign up for a free class today!

sign up for a free trial class
Sign up for your FREE TRIAL CLASS today!

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

  • 10 Simple Spanish Words Your Preschooler Can Learn This Week
  • The 25 Most Useful Spanish Phrases You Need to Learn Today
  • 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
  • Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
  • All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish
  • Top 20 Guatemalan Words and Slang Expressions You Should Know
  • The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish
  • A Guide to Double Negatives in Spanish
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Faustina Mulnik
Faustina Mulnik
Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy
As a native English speaker, I’ve spent over 6 years perfecting my Spanish. My studies have led me to major in Spanish, translate documents at a local museum, and communicate with people I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to know. I’ve studied abroad in Spain, lived in Yellowstone National Park for a summer, and volunteered in Costa Rica. I’m a passionate travel enthusiast seeking to share my love for all things Latin America.
Faustina Mulnik
Latest posts by Faustina Mulnik (see all)
  • How to Talk About the Temperature in Spanish: Fahrenheit, Celcius, and Descriptions - February 8, 2024
  • How To Use the Spanish Verb ‘Parecer’ - February 12, 2023
  • How To Write Dates in Spanish - January 28, 2023
grammar spanish grammar
0

Related Posts

Spanish for dummies

Spanish for Dummies [Greetings, Questions, Small Talk, and More]

March 10, 2022
Read More
spanish pronouns

3 Types of Spanish Pronouns to Perfect Your Fluency

May 16, 2021
Read More
you formal in Spanish

How to Say ‘You’ in Formal and Informal Spanish

September 21, 2021
Read More
filler words in Spanish

The Ultimate Guide to Filler Words in Spanish for More Natural Conversations

September 27, 2021
Read More

Leave a Comment! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Ultimate Spanish Study Guide for BeginnersPrevious Post
12 Must-See TED Talks in Spanish for Learners of Every LevelNext Post

About Us

With over 10 years of experience, HSA is where your goals merge with our teachers’ passion: to improve your Spanish fluency. Custom-tailored to fit your needs, you choose your program, schedule, favorite teachers, pace of learning, and more.. Learn More

Resources

  • About
  • Get a Transcript
  • FAQs
  • How it Works
  • Partners

Recent Posts

  • What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
    What to Expect in Your Preschooler’s First Spanish Class
    April 25, 2025
    Nervous about starting Spanish? Here’s...
  • Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
    Spanish Songs Your Preschooler Will Love (and Learn From!)
    April 24, 2025
    Music makes Spanish stick. Here are the...

Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Contact Us© 2022 HSA. All rights reserved.