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Questions & Answers about ¡Toma, tu café!
What does "toma" mean here—"take" or "drink"?
In this context it means something like “Here you go / take (it)” while handing the coffee to someone. It’s not an instruction to drink. If you wanted to tell someone to drink it, you’d normally say Toma tu café (no comma) or Bebe tu café. With the comma, ¡Toma, tu café! reads like “Here: your coffee.”
Why is there a comma after "toma"?
The comma marks a pause and separates the interjection/command toma (“here, take it”) from the noun phrase tu café (“your coffee”). It’s like saying “Here—your coffee.” Without the comma, Toma tu café reads more as “Drink your coffee.”
How do I know "toma" is an imperative and not “he/she takes/drinks”?
Context and punctuation. The form toma is both:
- the affirmative tú imperative of tomar (“take”), and
- the 3rd person singular present (“he/she takes/drinks”).
The exclamation and the situation of handing something make the imperative reading obvious here. This overlap is normal: many -ar verbs have the same form for tú imperative and 3rd person present (e.g., habla).
How do I say this formally to a stranger or older person?
Use the usted imperative:
- ¡Tome, su café!
- Very common and a bit softer: Aquí tiene su café.
- With extra politeness: Tome, por favor, su café.
How do I address more than one person?
Use the ustedes imperative in Latin America:
- ¡Tomen, su café! (if you’re handing out coffee to a group)
- If you refer to their individual coffees, you can specify: ¡Tomen, sus cafés!
Why is it "tu" without an accent and not "tú"?
- tu (no accent) = the possessive adjective “your” (singular, informal), as in tu café.
- tú (with accent) = the subject pronoun “you,” as in Tú tomas café.
Should there be an article before "café" (like “el”)?
No. With possessive adjectives, Spanish normally omits the article: tu café, mi casa, su libro. You could say el café tuyo (“your coffee” with emphasis), but tu café is the default.
Why does "café" have an accent mark?
Because the stress falls on the last syllable and the word ends in a vowel. By default, such words would be stressed on the penultimate syllable, so the accent is needed: ca-FÉ. It also distinguishes it from “cafe” in English spelling.
Could I say "¡Tómalo!" or "¡Tómatelo!" instead?
Yes, but they mean different things:
- ¡Tómalo! = “Take it.” (direct object pronoun: lo)
- ¡Tómatelo! = “Drink it up / Have it (for yourself).” (reflexive + direct object) Note pronoun placement in affirmative commands: they attach to the verb, and you add a written accent to keep the original stress: tómalo, tómatelo. In the negative, pronouns go before: No lo tomes, No te lo tomes.
Is "¡Toma!" by itself natural when handing something over?
Yes. In many parts of Latin America, ¡Toma! alone works as “Here you go.” Also common:
- ¡Ten! (tú) / ¡Tenga! (usted) = “Here (take this).”
- Aquí tienes/Here you have: Aquí tienes tu café. (tú) / Aquí tiene su café. (usted) Note: In Spain, ¡Toma! can also be an exclamation of triumph (“Yes!”). Context clarifies.
Can I use "agarra" instead of "toma"?
In some countries (e.g., Mexico, parts of Central America), agarra (“grab”) appears in casual speech, but for handing something politely, toma/ten/tenga or aquí tienes/tiene is smoother. Also, avoid coger in Latin America due to vulgar meanings in many countries.
Is "toma" rude or too direct?
Tone matters. ¡Toma! can be perfectly friendly with peers or kids. To sound more courteous, add por favor or use a softer alternative:
- Aquí tienes tu café.
- Tome, por favor.
- Le paso su café.
What if the person uses "vos" instead of "tú"?
Use the vos imperative: ¡Tomá, tu café! This is common in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, much of Central America, and parts of the Andes. Formal usted stays ¡Tome, su café!
Could I say "Ten, tu café" or is that European Spanish?
Ten, tu café (from tener) is also heard across Latin America as a casual way to hand something over. In voseo areas you’ll hear Tené, tu café. A very common neutral option is Aquí tienes tu café (or Aquí tiene su café formally).
Does word order ever flip, like "¡Tu café, toma!"?
That inversion is unusual and can sound abrupt or marked. The natural orders are:
- ¡Toma tu café! (“Drink your coffee.”)
- ¡Toma, tu café! (“Here—your coffee.”)
- Aquí tienes tu café.
How would I say “Don’t drink it yet” or “Don’t take it yet”?
Use the negative imperative with pronouns before the verb:
- “Don’t drink it yet”: No te lo tomes todavía / No lo bebas todavía.
- “Don’t take it yet”: No lo tomes todavía.
Could "toma" here mean “he/she drinks coffee”?
Not in this sentence. Él/Ella toma café means “He/She drinks coffee.” In ¡Toma, tu café!, the punctuation and situation (handing something over) signal the imperative “take.”
Is there a common affectionate variation for "café"?
Yes—diminutives are very common in Latin America: cafecito. You might hear:
- ¡Toma, tu cafecito! It often adds warmth or suggests a small/just-right portion.
Why does Spanish have the upside-down exclamation mark at the start?
Spanish marks the start and end of exclamations and questions: ¡…! and ¿…?. It signals the intonation from the beginning of the sentence, so ¡Toma, tu café! is the standard punctuation.