Question 1

Why is the verb cogía translated as "used to take" instead of just "took"?

Accepted Answer

Cogía is in the imperfect tense, which we use to talk about ongoing or repeated habits in the past. The word siempre (always) is a big clue that this was a repeated habit, so "used to take" captures that perfectly.

Question 2

I've heard that the verb coger shouldn't be used. Is it okay to use it here?

Accepted Answer

Since you are learning the Spanish spoken in Spain, yes! In Spain, coger is an incredibly common, completely polite everyday verb for "to take", "to grab", or "to catch" (like a bus or a train). However, be aware that in many parts of Latin America, it is a highly offensive slang word, and they use tomar instead.

Question 3

Why doesn't the verb change to a "j" here, like it does in yo cojo?

Accepted Answer

Spanish spelling rules try to keep the pronunciation consistent. In the present tense, we need a "j" for cojo because "go" would sound like the hard G in "goat". But in the imperfect tense cogía, the letter "g" followed by an "i" naturally makes the soft, breathy Spanish "j" sound, so we don't need to change the spelling.

Question 4

Can I put siempre at the end of the sentence, like La chica cogía la bufanda siempre?

Accepted Answer

You can, and people will understand you perfectly, but it sounds a bit less natural. Adverbs of frequency like siempre (always) usually go right before the verb they describe.

La chica siempre cogía la bufanda.

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