"Taken" in Spanish (Specific Languages) Language Learning Forum

"Taken" in Spanish
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12 messages over 2 pages: 1 2

Javi
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Spain
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Message 9 of 12

19 December 2012 at 1:43pm | IP Logged

Juаn wrote:

Regarding the original question from the first post, both forms are perfectly fine and sound natural to me.

Then I would say it's different around here, because "he tomado el periódico" just doesn't sound quite right to me. At the most you would use tomar if you are handing the paper over to someone: "toma el periódico".
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Javi
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Spain
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Message 10 of 12

19 December 2012 at 1:58pm | IP Logged

Serpent wrote:

If Assimil wants you to say this, most likely there has already been an example with it.

Yeah, that's the whole point of the exercises in the Assimil books, to bring back and so reinforce structures that you have already seen inside the course. The "right" answer should somehow come to your mind effortlessly and without much thinking. On the other hand, if you have other "influences", like in this case Latin American Spanish, or you know expressions that haven't come up in the course yet, that will certainly interfere, but that doesn't mean your answer is wrong.
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Juаn
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Message 11 of 12

20 December 2012 at 12:44am | IP Logged

caam_imt wrote:

Then you can put the blame on us :)

You Mexicans too? I was under the impression it was Spaniards who were fond of that word. I associate coger with venga and joder, expressed in that particularly Spanish, vigorous, energetic voice.

Here coger carries no special connotations, or at least it doesn't as far as I'm aware (I haven't been exposed to TV or massive media for a good while now, so am ignorant of the latest fashions). It means simply to grab or to take, and its derivative meanings.

Saludos.

Javi wrote:

Me senté y tomé el periódico que se encontraba sobre la mesa con el fin de enterarme acerca del desarrollo de las negociaciones... sound completely natural to me. Although a more colloquial form here would go cogí el periódico....
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mrwarper
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Message 12 of 12

27 December 2012 at 3:16am | IP Logged

Juаn wrote:

caam_imt wrote:

Then you can put the blame on us :)

You Mexicans too?

Juan, just what do you mean, 'too'? :)

Quote:

I was under the impression it was Spaniards who were fond of that word.

Not at all :)

Quote:

I associate coger with venga and joder, expressed in that particularly Spanish, vigorous, energetic voice.

Here coger carries no special connotations [...] It means simply to grab or to take, and its derivative meanings.

Same here. I think it is only them Mexicans who will think 'coger' means intercourse as a first option. Tractor mentioned Argentinians but I've never heard that in hundreds of hours of Argentinian humor shows, full of puns and word-plays. Then again I may have just missed it.

I wanted to add that, conversely, the preferred term in Mexico, 'agarrar', has a violent/forceful connotation in Spain. If you say 'agarré el periódico' for 'I took the newspaper' I'll think it was from somebody's hands, or you're probably about to add '...and I hit <somebody> with it', so I'll be looking out for your next sentence.

Javi wrote:

Juan wrote:

Me senté y tomé el periódico que se encontraba sobre la mesa con el fin de enterarme acerca del desarrollo de las negociaciones... sounds completely natural to me. Although a more colloquial form here would go cogí el periódico....

I don't see anything wrong with "tomé el periódico y me levanté...". It is true I'd never *say* it, but I wouldn't even think of batting an eyelash if I found it written. I guess you could say it is kind of literary, and that's why I think most Spanish speakers would use the more colloquial 'coger' instead (except of course in Mexico ;)

Edited by mrwarper on 27 December 2012 at 3:19am

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