
Hey there! Are you ready for another Dica? Today we’ll talk about the verb tomar in Portuguese.Β You might have already seen this verb with the meaning of drink in Portuguese, but the thing is that sometimes verbs can have more than just one meaning, so they might not translate entirely the same in other languages. One of these verbs is tomar, that can be translated into various verbs and can be used in many expressions that should be considered. Check out the tomar Portuguese conjugation!
Expressions with Tomar in Portuguese
The verb tomar can be found in a couple expressions that you should pay attention to because when you come to our school in Copacabana we’ll have a coffeeΒ (tomar um cafΓ©zinho) while we talk and practice Portuguese.
Tomar in Portuguese is a verb that has many different meanings and can be seen in different uses that have an also different translations into other languages. The most common meanings are, for instance, verbs like to have, to make,Β toΒ take and to drink in Portuguese.
Now, take a look at the expressions where we can use the verb Tomar:
1 – Tomar a liberdade de: To take the opportunity / take the liberty to
2 – Tomar cafΓ© (da manhΓ£): To have breakfast
3 – Tomar conta: To take care of
4 – Tomar cuidado: To be careful
5 – Tomar um Γ΄nibus (metrΓ΄, trem, tΓ‘xi…): To take a bus (metro, train, taxi…)
6 – Tomar parte: To take part
7 – Tomar uma medida: To take measures (a descision about something)
8 – Tomar banho: To take a shower
9 – Tomar um remΓ©dio: To take medicine
Tomar cafΓ© in Portuguese
Pay attention to this! In Portuguese, when we talk about breakfast we use the expression tomarΒ cafΓ© in Portuguese, as a shortened version of cafΓ© da manha. Literally, tomar cafΓ© means, to drink coffee. However, this expression is used even when someone didn’t drink coffee for breakfast. For example today I tomei cafΓ© (da manha) but I only ate an apple. Okay?
Talking about coffee, we have an amazing place toΒ tomar cafΓ© in Portuguese: a Confeitaria Colombo. Come with us from Rio & Learn in one of our RioLIVE! activities to drink some incredible coffee!
Now, let’s take a look at some sentence structures using expressions with the verb tomar, in Portuguese:
Examples
Eu tomei a liberdade de escolher sua roupa para sair hoje Γ noite.
I took the liberty to to choose your clothes to go out tonight.
Eu sempre tomo cafΓ© da manhΓ£ antes de sair de casa.
I always have breakfast before leavingΒ home.
Ela sempre toma conta dos irmΓ£os quando a mΓ£e vai trabalhar.
He always takes care of his brothers when his mother goes to work.
VocΓͺ deve tomar cuidado com os perigos da cidade.
You have to be careful with the dangerous situations of the city.
NΓ³s tomamos um Γ΄nibus para chegar ao centro.
We took the bus to go downtown.
VocΓͺs nunca tomam parte dos problemas da empresa.
You never participateΒ in the company problems.
Precisamos tomar medidas para prevenir a violΓͺncia.
We need to take measures to prevent violence.
Eles foram tomar banho muito tarde ontem.
They took a shower really late yesterday.
Elas vΓ£o tomar um remΓ©dio por causa da gripe.
They are going to take some medicine for the flu.
Tomar instead of beber
When we’re talking about drinks, sometimes we can use tomar also when talking about drink in Portuguese, tomar and beber can be synonymous in this context. So, we can use either one and it’ll have the same meaning. Let’s see some examples with the verb tomar instead of beber:
O que vocΓͺ toma no almoΓ§o?Β Eu tomo cerveja.
What do you drink at lunchtime? I have beer.
Ela sempre tomaΒ suco de laranja fresco quando viaja para o Rio de Janeiro.
She always has fresh orange juice when she comes to Rio de Janeiro.
VocΓͺs tomam cafΓ© ou chΓ‘?
Will you haveΒ coffee or tea?
Eles tomaram as caipirinhas que os alunos prepararam na Lapa.
They had the caipirinhas that the students made in Lapa.
Verb Tomar Portuguese conjugation
Tomar is a regular verb with termination -AR. The regular endings have been highlighted on the table below, to make it easier for you to learn.
Indicative
Present | Past Simple | Imperfect Past |
Eu tomo | Eu tomei | Eu tomava |
VocΓͺ toma | VocΓͺ tomou | VocΓͺ tomava |
Ele/ ela toma | Ele/ ela tomou | Ele/ ela tomava |
NΓ³s tomamos | NΓ³s tomamos | NΓ³s tomΓ‘vamos |
VocΓͺs tomam | VocΓͺs tomara | VocΓͺs tomavam |
Eles/ elas tomam | Eles/ elas tomaram | Eles/ elas tomavam |
Past pluperfect simple | Past pluperfect composed |
Eu tomara | Eu tinha tomado |
VocΓͺ tomara | VocΓͺ tinha tomado |
Ele/ ela tomara | Ele/ ela tinha tomado |
NΓ³s tomΓ‘ramos | NΓ³s tΓnhamos tomado |
VocΓͺs tomaram | VocΓͺs tinham tomado |
Eles/ elas tomaram | Eles/ elas tinham tomado |
SimpleΒ Future | Immediate Future | Future of the past |
Eu tomarei | Eu vou tomar | Β Eu tomaria |
VocΓͺ tomarΓ‘ | VocΓͺ vai tomar | VocΓͺ tomaria |
Ele/ ela tomarΓ‘ | Ele/ ela vai tomar | Ele/ ela tomaria |
NΓ³s tomaremos | NΓ³s vamos tomar | NΓ³s tomarΓamos |
VocΓͺs tomarΓ£o | VocΓͺs vΓ£o tomar | VocΓͺs tomariam |
Eles/ elas tomarΓ£o | Eles/ elas vΓ£o tomar | Eles/ elas tomariam |
Imperative
Affirmative | Negative |
Tome vocΓͺ | NΓ£o tome vocΓͺ |
Tome ele/ ela | NΓ£o tome ele/ ela |
Tomemos nΓ³s | NΓ£o tomemos nΓ³s |
Tomem vocΓͺs | NΓ£o tomem vocΓͺs |
Tomem eles/ elas | NΓ£o tomem eles/ elas |
Subjunctive
Present | Imperfect Past | Future |
Que eu tome | Se eu tomasse | Quando eu tomar |
Que vocΓͺ tome | Se vocΓͺ tomasse | Quando vocΓͺ tomar |
Que ele/ela tome | Se ele/ela tomasse | Quando ele/ela tomar |
Que nΓ³s tomemos | Se nΓ³s tomΓ‘ssemos | Quando nΓ³s tomarmos |
Que vocΓͺs tomem | Se vocΓͺs tomassem | Quando vocΓͺs tomarem |
Que eles/elas tomem | Se eles/elas tomassem | Quando eles/elas tomarem |
Other tenses
Personal infinitive | Gerund | Participle |
Para tomar eu | Tomado | Tomando |
Para tomar vocΓͺ | ||
Para tomar ele/ela | ||
Para tomarmos nΓ³s | ||
Para tomarem vocΓͺs | ||
Para tomarem eles/elas |
There are cases where only the verb tomar is acceptable, especially when we are unsure whether we should be eating (comendo) or drinking (bebendo) the item!Β Let’s see:
More examples with the verb tomar
Hoje estΓ‘ muito quente. Vou tomar um aΓ§aΓ.
Today it’s too hot. I will have an aΓ§aΓ.
No inverno nΓ³s tomamos sopas deliciosas.
In winter we have delicious soups.
Ela toma sol na praia todo fim de semana.
She sunbathes every weekend at the beach.
Por que vocΓͺ nΓ£o toma um remΓ©dio para a dor de cabeΓ§a?
Why don’t you take some headache medicine?
Now it’s your turn!
Got it, folks?
We learned when to use tomar vs beber in Portuguese. How about we practice some more while drinking caipirinhas and taking a little quiz?
[quiz-cat id=”91629″]
We are preparing some while waiting for you.
Conjugate tomar in Portuguese
We’ve learned some expressions with the verb tomar in Portuguese. So now it’s time to practice!! Here there are some sentences and you have to fill in the blanks using the correct form of the verb.
- O que vocΓͺ _______ no seu cafΓ© da manhΓ£?
- Ontem fomos Γ Lapa e _______ muitas caipirinhas.
- Os alunos podem _______ cervejas durante as aulas de PortuguΓͺs no Rio de Janeiro.
- _______ cuidado ao nadar. O mar estΓ‘ muito forte.
- Ele _______ o Γ΄nibus errado, entΓ£o vai se atrasar.
- Eles estΓ£o fedidos… Precisam _______ um banho.
- No passado, Marcos _______ muitas decisΓ΅es erradas.
- VocΓͺ parece cansado, _______ um cafΓ©.
- Os mΓ©dicos querem que eu _______ remΓ©dios, mas eu nΓ£o quero.
- Se pudesse, eu _______ esta decisΓ£o por vocΓͺ.
What do you think about taking a plane and coming to Rio de Janeiro to learn Portuguese in real life? Here you can have a teacher dedicated to you and your needs.
See you next Dica!
Regards fromΒ Rio & Learn!
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Click in the links below to see more related Dicas
Eat in Portuguese
Drink in Portuguese
Live in Portuguese
Conjugate tomar in Portuguese: answers
- O que vocΓͺ tomou no seu cafΓ© da manhΓ£?
- Ontem fomos Γ Lapa e tomamos muitas caipirinhas.Β
- Os alunos podem tomar cervejas durante as aulas de PortuguΓͺs no Rio de Janeiro.Β
- Tome cuidado ao nadar. O mar estΓ‘ muito forte.
- Ele tomou o Γ΄nibus errado, entΓ£o vai se atrasar.
- Eles estΓ£o fedidos… Precisam tomar um banho.
- No passado, Marcos tomava muitas decisΓ΅es erradas.Β
- VocΓͺ parece cansado, tome um cafΓ©.
- Os mΓ©dicos querem que eu tome remΓ©dios, mas eu nΓ£o quero.
- Se pudesse, eu tomaria esta decisΓ£o por vocΓͺ.Β