Cuando tomo un avión, normalmente escucho música para relajarme.

When I take a plane, I usually listen to music to relax.

Breakdown of Cuando tomo un avión, normalmente escucho música para relajarme.

• yo: I
• un: a
• la música: the music
• para: to
• cuando: when
• escuchar: to listen
• relajar: to relax
• el avión: the plane
• tomar: to take
• normalmente: usually

Questions & Answers about Cuando tomo un avión, normalmente escucho música para relajarme.

Why do we use tomo instead of tomé or toma?

Tomo is the first-person singular (yo) present tense form of the verb tomar, indicating a habitual or current action: "I take a plane."

• Tomé would mean "I took a plane" (past).
• Toma would mean "He/She takes a plane" or "You (formal) take a plane."

Why do we say tomar un avión instead of a more literal "coger un avión" or "volar?

In Spain, tomar un avión (literally "take a plane") is a very common way to say "to fly somewhere by plane." While you might also hear coger un avión in some regions of Spain, tomar is widely understood and avoids potential confusion in some Latin American countries where coger can have different connotations. Volar simply means "to fly" but doesn't directly convey the sense of "catching" or "taking" a plane.

What function does normalmente serve here?

Normalmente means "normally" or "usually," indicating a habitual action. It clarifies that listening to music is your typical practice when you take a flight.

What does para relajarme mean, and why is it at the end?

Para relajarme translates to "in order to relax myself" or "to relax."
• The word para introduces the purpose of the action: you're listening to music with the goal of relaxing.
• Relajarme is the infinitive form of relajar (to relax) plus me (myself). Placing it at the end is a natural word order in Spanish: "[...] escucho música para relajarme."

Can I say para relajar or para relajarme both?

You generally need the reflexive form relajarme when you mean "to relax myself." Para relajar might sound too generic and often doesn't specify who is relaxing. In this context, para relajarme makes it clear that you're relaxing yourself.