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Tomamos la merienda a las cinco en la sala.

Tomamos la merienda a las cinco en la sala.
We have a snack at five in the living room.
FromLesson 42inHardcore Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Tomamos la merienda a las cinco en la sala.

What does the verb form tomamos mean here?
It’s the first‑person plural present of tomar: we have/take. With food and drinks, tomar commonly means “to have” (eat/drink), so here it’s “we have.”
Why use tomar with la merienda instead of the verb merendar?

Both are correct. You can say:

  • Tomamos la merienda a las cinco… (we have the snack…)
  • Merendamos a las cinco… (we snack / have an afternoon snack…) In Latin America, many speakers would simply say Merendamos…; the tomar + article construction is also understood and correct.
Is Tomamos la merienda natural in Latin America?
Yes, it’s correct and understood. That said, many would find Merendamos a las cinco a bit more natural/concise in everyday speech. Regional habits vary.
Why is there a definite article (la) before merienda?
Meals are often used with the definite article when treated as a noun object: tomar el desayuno, tomar la cena, tomar la merienda. It refers to the meal in a generic/habitual sense.
Can I say tomamos merienda without the article?
That’s uncommon and can sound odd. Prefer tomamos la merienda or use the verb merendar: merendamos. If you want “a snack,” you can say tomamos una merienda (a specific snack occasion).
Is merienda feminine?
Yes. It’s la merienda; plural las meriendas (though you typically talk about the meal in the singular when it’s a routine).
Does this sentence imply a habit?
Yes. The simple present in Spanish often expresses habitual actions: “We usually have our snack at five.” You can add adverbs like siempre, normalmente, a veces to be explicit.
Why is it a las cinco and not en las cinco?
Spanish uses a to express clock times (at): a las dos, a las cinco. It’s feminine plural because hora is implied: a las (horas) cinco. Only 1:00 uses a la una.
Should I add de la tarde to say 5 p.m.?
You can: a las cinco de la tarde. Often it’s omitted if context makes “afternoon” obvious, and merienda already suggests late afternoon.
Could tomamos be past tense here?
Possibly. Tomamos is the same form for present (we take) and preterite (we took). Without a past marker like ayer, context usually favors the present/habitual reading.
Can I change the word order?

Yes. All are fine:

  • Tomamos la merienda a las cinco en la sala.
  • A las cinco, tomamos la merienda en la sala.
  • En la sala, tomamos la merienda a las cinco. Word order can shift for emphasis or flow.
What does en la sala mean in Latin America?
It typically means in the living room. Synonyms/variants: la sala de estar, and in some places people also say el living (loanword). In Spain, el salón is more common for “living room.”
Is salón okay here?
In Latin America, salón often means a large hall, classroom, or salon, not the home living room. To avoid confusion, la sala is the safest LA choice for “living room.”
Could sala mean “classroom”?
By itself, not usually. For “classroom,” LA Spanish prefers el aula or la sala de clases (regional). Sala alone in a household context is “living room.”
Why en for location and not a?
En means “in/at (inside).” A indicates movement/direction (“to”). So it’s en la sala (in the living room), but a la sala (to the living room).
How would I pronounce this in Latin American Spanish?

Approximate: to-MA-mos la meh-RYEN-da a las SEEN-ko en la SA-la. Notes: c in cinco sounds like S; the r in merienda is a single flap; stress falls on -MA-, -RYEN-, SIN-, SA-.

How do I turn it into a yes/no question?
Keep the word order and add question marks and rising intonation: ¿Tomamos la merienda a las cinco en la sala? You don’t need nosotros unless for emphasis.
How do I say it for the near future, like “We’re going to have a snack at five…”?
Use ir a + infinitive: Vamos a merendar a las cinco en la sala. You can also say Merendamos a las cinco for scheduled future.
How do I say “around five”?

Common options:

Can I replace la merienda with a pronoun?
Yes: La tomamos a las cinco en la sala. This works if la merienda is already clear from context.
Can I mention what we eat/drink?
Sure: Tomamos café y pan dulce a las cinco en la sala, or with the verb merendar: Merendamos café y pan dulce…
Is tomarnos la merienda correct?
Not in this neutral, routine sense. Tomarse is used for personal indulgence or emphasis (Nos tomamos un cafecito), but with la merienda as a routine meal, just use tomar/merendar.
Any regional notes about the word merienda?
It’s widely understood in Latin America for an afternoon snack. In Chile, people often say tomar once for a similar mealtime. In some places, general “snack” words like botana (Mexico) or piqueo (Peru) refer to the food rather than the mealtime.
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