Breakdown of Voy a coger el libro que está sobre la mesa.
yo
I
el libro
the book
estar
to be
la mesa
the table
Questions & Answers about Voy a coger el libro que está sobre la mesa.
Why is it voy a coger instead of just cojo?
Voy a + infinitive is a very common way to talk about the near future in Spanish, similar to I’m going to ... in English.
- voy a coger = I’m going to take/pick up
- cojo = I take / I am taking depending on context
So Voy a coger el libro... sounds like a plan or immediate future action. If you said Cojo el libro..., it would usually sound more like I’m taking the book or I take the book.
What exactly does coger mean here?
Here, coger means something like:
- to take
- to pick up
- to get hold of
In this sentence, it most naturally means to pick up or to take the book.
A useful note for learners: in Spain, coger is completely normal and extremely common. In some parts of Latin America, though, it can be vulgar, so learners often prefer verbs like tomar, agarrar, or recoger depending on the situation.
Why is there an a in voy a coger?