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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: