Log inSign up

Oye, cojo el patinete, que me retraso.

Oye, cojo el patinete, que me retraso.
Hey, I am taking the scooter, because I am running late.
From Lesson 475:Causal conjunctions (que)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Oye, cojo el patinete, que me retraso.

Why is que used here instead of porque?
You could use porque, but in spoken Spanish, que is very commonly used as a quick causal conjunction. It links an action (cojo el patinete) to its immediate reason (me retraso). It feels natural and fast in conversational Spanish, especially after announcements or commands.
Is the verb coger safe to use here? I've heard it can be a vulgar word.
In Spain, coger is the completely standard, everyday verb for taking a mode of transport or grabbing an object. Since you are learning Spanish from Spain, it is perfectly safe and expected here. In much of Latin America, however, you would use tomar to avoid the vulgar slang meaning.
What exact type of vehicle is el patinete?
El patinete refers to a kick scooter or a modern electric standing scooter. If you were talking about a Vespa-style seated motor scooter, you would say una moto or un scooter.
Why use the reflexive me retraso instead of a direct translation like estoy tarde?
To say you are running late, Spanish typically uses the reflexive verb retrasarse (literally, to delay oneself) or the phrase llegar tarde. You cannot say estoy tarde. If you used the non-reflexive retraso, it would mean you are actively delaying something else.

Learn Oye, cojo el patinete, que me retraso and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →