Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Cojo un carrito en la entrada del supermercado. - I grab a shopping cart at the supermarket entrance.

Yes. In Spain, coger is the everyday verb for “to take/pick up” (e.g., cojo un carrito, cojo el autobús). In much of Latin America, coger is vulgar, so people prefer tomar or agarrar. If you’re aiming for Peninsular Spanish, coger is perfect.

Why is it spelled cojo and not cogo?

Verbs ending in -ger/-gir change g → j before a or o to keep the same sound. So: coger → cojo (yo), but coges, coge, cogemos. In the present subjunctive/imperative: coja, cojas, coja(n).

Do I need to say yo or can I just say cojo?

You can just say cojo. Spanish normally drops subject pronouns. Use yo only for emphasis or contrast (e.g., Yo cojo un carrito, tú coge una cesta).

Why un and not uno before carrito?

Before a masculine singular noun, uno shortens to un: un carrito. Use uno when counting or when the noun is omitted (e.g., ¿Quieres uno?).

What nuance does carrito add? How is it different from carro or cesta?

carrito: diminutive; in Spain it’s the usual word for a supermarket trolley.
carro (de la compra): also used in Spain; carro alone can sound more generic.
cesta: a hand-held basket (smaller, no wheels).

What gender is carrito and what pronoun would replace it?

Carrito is masculine: el carrito. As a direct object, it becomes lo (e.g., if it’s already known: Lo cojo en la entrada). Don’t use le here; that leísmo doesn’t apply to inanimate objects.

Can I change the word order?

Yes. Common options:

Cojo un carrito en la entrada del supermercado.
En la entrada del supermercado cojo un carrito. Word order shifts emphasis but the meaning stays the same.

Why en la entrada and not a la entrada?

Both are possible:

en la entrada = located in the entrance area.
a la entrada = at the entrance / upon entering (more event-like). You can also say al entrar en el supermercado (“on entering the supermarket”).

What does del mean here?

del is the contraction of de + el: la entrada del supermercado. With a feminine noun it stays separate (de la). Note: with some proper names starting with El, there’s no contraction (e.g., de El País).

Why isn’t there an a before un carrito (like cojo a un carrito)?

Spanish uses the “personal a” before direct objects that are specific people (or certain animals), not inanimate things. So cojo un carrito is correct; no a.

Is supermercado masculine? Do I generally use the article with places?

Yes, supermercado is masculine: el supermercado. With motion verbs you’ll typically use the article: Voy al supermercado (a + el → al). A common exception is casa: Voy a casa (no article).

How do I say it in the past?

Preterite: Cogí un carrito en la entrada del supermercado.
Present perfect: He cogido un carrito en la entrada del supermercado.
In Spain, the present perfect is frequent for very recent past.

How do I tell someone to do this?

Tú: Coge un carrito. / No cojas un carrito roto.
Usted: Coja un carrito. / No coja un carrito roto.
Vosotros: Coged un carrito. / No cojáis un carrito roto.

Any pronunciation tips for this sentence?

cojo: the j is a throaty sound , like a strong English “h.”
entrada: stress on -tra- (en-TRA-da).
supermercado: stress on -ca- (su-per-mer-CA-do).
The d in final position (as in entrada) may sound soft in Spain.

Could cojo be mistaken for the adjective “lame” (cojo)?

They’re spelled the same, but context disambiguates. As a verb, cojo is followed by a direct object (cojo un carrito). As an adjective: un perro cojo, Estoy cojo.

Could I say tomo or agarro instead of cojo?

In Spain, cojo is the natural choice here. Tomar is fine for drinks or medicine (and for “take” in Latin America), and agarrar suggests grabbing/holding firmly, so neither is typical in this context in Spain.

Can I drop del supermercado if it’s obvious?

Yes. In context you can say simply Cojo un carrito en la entrada, and it will be understood.