Tomo una pastilla cuando tengo dolor de cabeza.

I take a pill when I have a headache.

Breakdown of Tomo una pastilla cuando tengo dolor de cabeza.

• yo: I
• tener: to have
• cuando: when
• tomar: to take
• una: a
• la pastilla: the pill
• el dolor de cabeza: the headache

Questions & Answers about Tomo una pastilla cuando tengo dolor de cabeza.

Why is it tomo and not bebo or tengo?

• Spanish uses tomar for taking medicine.
• Beber means “to drink” (liquids in general), not the act of taking a medication.
• Tener means “to have/possess,” not “to take.”

Can I say me tomo una pastilla? What does the reflexive add?

• Yes. Me tomo is common and a bit more colloquial/emphatic (“I down a pill”).
• Meaning is essentially the same as tomo; use either.

Why is there no yo before tomo?

• Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject.
• Add yo only for emphasis or contrast: Yo tomo una pastilla, pero él no.

Why una pastilla and not la pastilla?

• Una refers to a nonspecific pill. La would refer to a specific pill already identified in context.
• In the singular you normally need the article: say tomo una pastilla, not “tomo pastilla.”

Could I use the plural: Tomo pastillas cuando...?

• Yes. It means you take pills in general whenever that situation occurs (not necessarily exactly one each time).

Why dolor de cabeza instead of dolor en la cabeza or cabeza dolorosa?

• The idiomatic pattern is dolor de + body part: dolor de cabeza, dolor de espalda, etc.
• Dolor en la cabeza sounds like a location description; less natural for “a headache.”
• Cabeza dolorosa is grammatical but not how people normally say it.

What’s the difference between tengo dolor de cabeza and me duele la cabeza?

• Both mean “I have a headache.”
• Tengo dolor de cabeza = “I have head pain” (noun phrase).
• Me duele la cabeza = “My head hurts” (verb phrase).
• Both are equally natural in Latin America.

Why is it cuando tengo (indicative) and not cuando tenga (subjunctive)?

• Indicative for habitual or present-time facts: Tomo una pastilla cuando tengo...
• Subjunctive for future/uncertain time or instructions: Cuando tenga dolor de cabeza, toma una pastilla.

Can I use si instead of cuando?

• Yes, with a conditional nuance: Si tengo dolor de cabeza, tomo una pastilla = “If I have a headache, I take a pill.”
• Cuando focuses on time (“whenever it happens”); si focuses on condition (“if it happens”).

Which word is most natural: pastilla, píldora, tableta, comprimido, cápsula?

• Default in Latin America: pastilla.
• Píldora often suggests birth‑control pill; avoid for general pain pills in many places.
• Tableta is common on packaging; acceptable.
• Cápsula refers specifically to a capsule.
• Comprimido is very common in Spain; understood in Latin America but less everyday.

How do I say “for a headache” correctly: para or por?

• Purpose: Tomo una pastilla para el dolor de cabeza. (most common)
• Cause: Tomé una pastilla por el dolor de cabeza. = “because of the headache” (fine, but less typical for general habits).

Why no article in dolor de cabeza? Why not dolor de la cabeza?

• The set phrase is dolor de + body part (no article) for the general condition.
• Use an article only when specifying someone’s head: el dolor de cabeza de María.

Can I say tengo un dolor de cabeza?

• Yes, especially when modified: Tengo un dolor de cabeza terrible.
• Without an adjective, tengo dolor de cabeza is more common.

Can I say cuando me duele la cabeza instead of cuando tengo dolor de cabeza?

• Yes. Tomo una pastilla cuando me duele la cabeza is equally natural and common.

Why not the present progressive (estoy tomando/estoy teniendo)?

• The simple present expresses habits in Spanish: Tomo una pastilla...
• Estoy tomando means “I’m taking (right now/around now).”
• Estoy teniendo dolor de cabeza is uncommon; use tengo dolor de cabeza or me duele la cabeza.

Can I put the cuando clause first? Do I need a comma?

• Yes: Cuando tengo dolor de cabeza, tomo una pastilla.
• Use a comma when the cuando clause comes first; no comma if it comes second.