Tomar o tomarse
 

tomar la medicina
o
tomarse la medicina

tomar la medicina (I think)

I've always heard "tomarse" in reference to medicines. It could be the same distinction as "comer" and "comerse". Both are correct, but the pronominal verb (comerse, tomarse) acts as an intensifier.

What exactly IS the distinction between "comer" and "comerse"? (Thus between "tomar" and "tomarse"...) I (sort of) understand the idea of pronomial verbs ... that you're doing something to yourself. But how do you eat to yourself? What's the difference between eating and comerse-ing?

Welcome to the forums!!


Emphasis is the only difference between tomar and tomarse. The same goes for comer and comerse. You're emphasizing the action. In these cases, it could mean the difference between "I drank/ate it," and "I drank/ate it up."

so would it be tomar la medicina?

It doesn't matter whether you use tomar or tomarse, Jessica.

I also find reflexive verbs confusing; as in, some of them don't seem to make sense as to why they would be reflexive. But, I can understand the emphesis (jeeze, can't spell that work) thing; Is "Yo me tomo [algo]" the correct conjugation for tomarse?

In Spain with medicines we almost always use tomarse: El médico le dijo que tenía que tomarse el jarabe tres veces al día. Tomar also works, but not as well in my opinion.

In the case of comer and comerse, the difference is the emphasis: If I say: Me apetece comerme una hamburguesa, I mean that I wish it more than if I say: Me apetece comer una hamburguesa.

Yes, it is! :)