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Tomo una pastilla cuando tengo dolor de cabeza.

Tomo una pastilla cuando tengo dolor de cabeza.
I take a pill when I have a headache.
FromLesson 37inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

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?
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)?
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.
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“How does verb conjugation work in Spanish?”
Spanish verbs change form based on the subject, tense, and mood. Regular verbs follow predictable patterns depending on whether they end in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. For example, "hablar" (to speak) becomes "hablo" (I speak), "hablas" (you speak), and "habla" (he/she speaks) in the present tense.

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