Question 1

Why do we use toma instead of leva or tira for "take" here?

Accepted Answer

In English, we use "take" for many different actions, but Portuguese uses specific verbs. Tomar is the verb you must use for ingesting medicine or drinks. You cannot use levar (which means to transport or carry something with you) or tirar (which means to remove or extract something).

Question 2

Is toma a command? Why doesn't it end in "-as" if it's for tu (you)?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this is an informal command (the imperative mood). To tell someone you address as tu to do something, you drop the "s" from the normal present tense form. So instead of tomas (you take), the command is simply toma (take!). If you were speaking formally to someone, you would say tome.

Question 3

I've heard the word remédio for medicine. Is medicamento better to use here?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in Portugal, medicamento is the most common and standard word for pharmaceutical medicine or pills. Remédio is understood, but in Portugal, it often refers more broadly to a "cure", a solution to a problem, or a traditional home remedy.

Question 4

Why is there no "the" (a) before água?

Accepted Answer

When referring to an uncountable substance in a general, indefinite sense, like "water" as opposed to "the specific water in that glass", you don't need a definite article. Saying com água translates perfectly to "with water".

Toma o medicamento com água.

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