Collocations in Spanish: which verb goes with which noun
Here a sentence can be grammatically right and still wrong. It breaks no rule — nobody says it, that is all. Which verb goes with which noun is not explained by any rule. It is a habit of the language, and habits are learnt in pairs.
A handful of verbs carry almost all of it. Where the obvious choice is a different verb, it is in the third column — those are the places where it goes wrong.
hacer
Things that get done or made: a question, a photo, the bed, the suitcase. English spreads these over «ask», «take», «make» and «pack».
| Spanish | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| hacer una pregunta | ask a question | tempting: pedir |
| hacer una foto | take a photo | tempting: tomar |
| hacer la cama | make the bed | |
| hacer la maleta | pack (a suitcase) | tempting: empaquetar |
| hacer la compra | do the (food) shopping | |
| hacer deporte | do sport, play sport | tempting: jugar |
| hacer un favor | do a favour | |
| hacer cola | queue | |
| hacer caso | take notice of, listen to | |
| hacer frío | be cold (of the weather) | tempting: estar |
| hacer un examen | take an exam, sit an exam | tempting: tomar |
| hacer ruido | make a noise |
¿Puedo hacer una pregunta?May I ask a question?
Nos hicieron una foto delante de la catedral.We had our photo taken in front of the cathedral.
Haz la cama antes de salir.Make your bed before you go out.
tener
Where English says «be»: hungry, cold, afraid, right, twenty years old.
| Spanish | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| tener hambre | be hungry | tempting: estar |
| tener sed | be thirsty | tempting: estar |
| tener frío | feel cold (of a person) | tempting: estar |
| tener calor | feel hot (of a person) | tempting: estar |
| tener sueño | be sleepy | tempting: estar |
| tener miedo | be afraid, be scared | tempting: estar |
| tener prisa | be in a hurry | tempting: estar |
| tener razón | be right | tempting: estar |
| tener ganas | feel like, fancy | tempting: sentir |
| tener suerte | be lucky | tempting: ser |
| tener veinte años | be twenty (years old) | tempting: ser |
| tener cuidado | be careful, mind | tempting: ser |
| tener lugar | take place | tempting: tomar |
Tengo mucha hambre.I’m really hungry.
¿Tienes sed?Are you thirsty?
Tengo frío, cierra la ventana.I’m cold — shut the window.
dar
Things that are given — including a walk and the time.
| Spanish | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| dar un paseo | go for a walk | tempting: tomar |
| dar las gracias | thank, say thank you | |
| dar igual | not mind, be all the same | |
| dar miedo | be frightening, scare | |
| dar la hora | tell someone the time | |
| dar una vuelta | go for a wander, go round | |
| dar permiso | give permission | |
| dar clase | teach (a class) | |
| dar la lata | pester, get on someone’s nerves | |
| dar pena | make someone sad, feel sorry for |
Damos un paseo después de comer.We go for a walk after lunch.
Le di las gracias por todo.I thanked her for everything.
Me da igual, elige tú.I don’t mind — you choose.
tomar
Things that are taken: a coffee, a bus, a decision — where English often says «have» or «make».
| Spanish | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| tomar un café | have a coffee | tempting: tener |
| tomar el sol | sunbathe | |
| tomar una decisión | make a decision | tempting: hacer |
| tomar nota | make a note of, note down | tempting: hacer |
| tomar el autobús | take the bus, catch the bus | |
| tomar una medicina | take a medicine | |
| tomar algo | go for a drink, have something | tempting: tener |
| tomar el pelo | pull someone’s leg | tempting: tirar |
Tomamos un café en la plaza.We had a coffee in the square.
Tomaron el sol toda la tarde.They sunbathed all afternoon.
Hay que tomar una decisión hoy.A decision has to be made today.
poner
Things that are put in place or set going: the table, the washing machine, an example.
| Spanish | English | Easy to get wrong |
|---|---|---|
| poner la mesa | lay the table, set the table | |
| poner la lavadora | put the washing machine on | |
| poner una multa | fine someone | tempting: dar |
| poner atención | pay attention | tempting: pagar |
| poner un ejemplo | give an example | tempting: dar |
| poner la televisión | put the television on | |
| poner una inyección | give an injection | tempting: dar |
| poner de acuerdo | come to an agreement, agree | tempting: estar |
¿Puedes poner la mesa?Can you lay the table?
He puesto la lavadora esta mañana.I put the washing machine on this morning.
Le pusieron una multa por aparcar mal.He was fined for parking badly.