Expressions with the verb TOMAR

The verb tomar can be a bit confusing for learners because it has three different main meanings and it's part of several common expressions.

Its main meanings are to drink, to have and to take. Let's have a look at some examples:

The verb tomar is often used as a synonym for the verb beber, which means to drink:

- O que você vai tomar?

- Vou tomar uma cerveja.

In this context, in English, it's common for people to use the verb to have, as in What are you
going to have? / I'm going to have a beer.

So, a common mistake is for learners to literally translate using the verb ter, which means to have and say for example Vou ter uma cerveja, but that is incorrect. Remember: to have in the context of to
drink is either beber or, most often, tomar, *not* ter.

The verb tomar is also used in tomar café da manhã, which means to have breakfast.

- Eu adoro tomar café da manhã na cama!

We also use the verb tomar to say to take medicine: tomar remédio.

- Já tomei remédio mas ainda tô doente.

Another common use of the verb tomar is when we want to say to have a shower: tomar banho.

- Eu tomo banho todos os dias.

So, tomar banho is to have a shower. If you want to say to have a bath, you need to say tomar banho de banheira.

There's also: tomar banho de sol / to sunbathe.

By the way, if you tell someone to go and have a shower: - Vai tomar banho!, that means - Go and have a shower! But it can also be an insult, depending on how you say it, depending on your intonation. If you say:

- Vai tomar banho! (with an angry voice!) that means - Go away! / - Get out of here!

There's another similar expression with the verb tomar, which is: - Vai tomar no **!. But, for that kind of language, you need to check out my podcast Forbidden Brazilian Portuguese and the episode that you need to listen to for this expression is Episode 2.

The last expression with verb tomar we're going to see today is tomar cuidado, which means to be careful.

- Toma cuidado pra não se queimar!

For the conjugation of the verb tomar in all tenses, click here.

Some other common expressions with the verb tomar:

toma lá dá cá: 'give-and-take' (lit: 'take-there-give-here')
tomar iniciativa: to take initiative
tomar a liberdade: to take the liberty
tomar conta: to look after
tomar coragem: to take courage
tomar emprestado: to borrow
tomar nota: to take notes, to jot down

Categories: : Verbs, Vocabulary, Expressions