tomar vs coger
what is the difference is use of tomar and coger since both mean the same - to take.
2 Answers
Both verbs have a lot of uses, many of which overlap, but there are cases where you'd use one but not the other, like it happens in English and in any other language (eg. "tomar" is used to mean "to eat" or "to drink", but "coger" is not used like that.) Trying to memorize these differences would be a tedious and difficult task. I suggest you learn how to use them in context, because they are quite similar.
Warning: the word "coger" was used as a slang in a very rude way to mean "take a woman sexually" (a better translation would require the F-word,) and this meaning ended up becoming mainstream in some countries, while it was abandoned in others. If you are travelling to a Latin American country, find out whether they use this verb with this meaning.
Hi, croberts. The dictionary at the top of the page offers a pretty good review of when each is appropriate under their respective entries. If you have a more specific question about a particular case that is not mentioned in the dictionary entries, I'm sure someone will be happy to help you. Here are the links to the relevant entries:
