Breakdown of Deberías tomar este jarabe para la tos.
para
for / in order to (+ infinitive) / by (a deadline)
la tos
the cough
tomar
to have (food or drink); to take (medicine, the bus)
este
this (m.sg., also esta, estos, estas, esto)
deber
should, must (+ infinitive)
el jarabe
the syrup
Questions & Answers about Deberías tomar este jarabe para la tos.
Why is "deberías" used here instead of "debes"?
Deberías is the conditional tense of deber (to have to / must). While debes means "you must", using the conditional deberías softens it to mean "you should". It is the standard way to give advice or recommendations in Spanish.
Why do we use "tomar" for taking medicine instead of "coger" or "llevar"?
The English translation says "your cough", but the Spanish says "la tos". Why isn't it "tu tos"?
Just like with body parts and clothing, Spanish generally uses the definite article (el, la, los, las) instead of possessive adjectives (like tu) when referring to physical ailments or symptoms. So, "your cough" translates naturally to la tos (the cough).
Why do we use "para" instead of "por" in "para la tos"?
We use para here because it indicates the purpose or intended use of the syrup. Even though the syrup is meant to fight or get rid of the cough, Spanish uses para (for the purpose of) to link the medicine to the symptom it treats.
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