Breakdown of Coge el dinero y compra el pan.
y
and
comprar
to buy
el pan
the bread
el dinero
the money
coger
to take
Questions & Answers about Coge el dinero y compra el pan.
Why do the command forms coge and compra look exactly like the he/she present tense forms?
That is the standard rule for regular informal tú (you) commands! To tell a friend to do something, you just use the normal he/she/it present tense form. Because of this, context and your tone of voice will make it clear whether you are saying 'he buys' or ordering someone to 'buy!'.
What are the infinitive forms of these verbs, and how would I change them to command a group (vosotros)?
Is coger safe to use? I have heard it is a bad word.
In Spain, coger is a completely normal, everyday verb meaning to take, grab, or catch. You will hear it all the time! In much of Latin America, however, it is a highly vulgar slang word, and people use tomar (to take) instead. Since you are learning Spanish from Spain, coge is the correct and safe choice here.
Why do we say el dinero and el pan instead of just dinero and pan?
Because the speaker is referring to a specific stash of money and a specific loaf of bread ('the' money, 'the' bread). If they were talking in a general sense ('Take money and buy bread'), they would also drop the words for 'the' in Spanish: Coge dinero y compra pan.
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