Introduction
tomarán is a useful Spanish verb form for talking about what several people will do in the future. You may see it in plans, schedules, instructions, and everyday conversations. It comes from the verb tomar, which has several meanings, including to take, to drink, and to choose or use something. The exact meaning depends on the words around it. For example, a group may take a bus, drink a beverage, or make a particular choice.
Understanding this form can help you follow plans and talk about future actions with confidence. It also gives you a practical example of a common Spanish pattern: the simple future tense. In this guide, you will learn how to translate the word, how to recognize its subject, and how to pronounce it. You will also see natural examples and compare it with related verbs, so you can decide when tomar is the best choice.
Meaning and Definition
Tomarán is the third-person plural form of tomar in the simple future tense. Depending on the subject, it can mean they will take, you all will take, they will drink, or you all will drink. In Spanish, the subject may be a group of people, such as mis amigos, meaning my friends, or ustedes, meaning you all. The verb ending tells you that the action is about the future and that the subject is plural.
The basic verb tomar has a broad range of meanings. It can describe picking something up or carrying it away: tomarán sus libros means they will take their books. It can describe having a drink: tomarán agua means they will drink water. It can also mean taking a route, using transport, choosing an option, or making a step in a process. Context tells you which English translation sounds most natural.
The future meaning is usually clear, but English does not always translate the verb with the same word. In a sentence about a train, tomarán el tren is usually they will take the train. In a sentence about breakfast, tomarán café is usually they will have or drink coffee. In a sentence about a decision, tomarán una decisión means they will make a decision. A good translation focuses on the whole phrase instead of matching each Spanish word to only one English word.
The form is built from the infinitive tomar and the future ending -án. Spanish regular verbs use the infinitive as the base for the simple future, then add an ending that indicates the subject. For tomar, the forms are tomaré for I will take, tomarás for you will take, tomará for he, she, or formal you will take, tomaremos for we will take, tomaréis for informal plural you will take in Spain, and tomarán for they or plural you will take. The verb stem does not change.
The final accent mark matters. The written accent in tomarán shows that the strongest stress falls on the last syllable. It also distinguishes this future form from tomaran, a different form used in certain grammatical contexts. In ordinary beginner-level use, remember the pattern: tomar plus the future ending -án gives the meaning they will take or you all will take.
Tomar comes from the Latin verb that meant to take or receive. Its many modern uses grew from that basic idea of taking or obtaining something. You do not need to know its history to use it correctly, but the connection can make its meanings easier to remember. A person can take an object, take a drink, take a ride, or take an opportunity.
Usage and Example Sentences
The following examples show how the subject and surrounding words help you understand the meaning. In each sentence, the verb refers to a future action.
Spanish: Mañana tomarán el autobús para ir al museo.
English: Tomorrow they will take the bus to go to the museum.
Spanish: Después de la clase, ustedes tomarán agua en el jardín.
English: After class, you all will drink water in the garden.
Spanish: Mis primos tomarán fotos durante la visita.
English: My cousins will take photos during the visit.
Spanish: Los estudiantes tomarán una decisión después de escuchar las opciones.
English: The students will make a decision after listening to the options.
Spanish: A las ocho, mis vecinos tomarán el tren hacia el centro.
English: At eight, my neighbors will take the train toward downtown.
Spanish: Si tienen sed, tomarán jugo de naranja con el desayuno.
English: If they are thirsty, they will have orange juice with breakfast.
Spanish: Los visitantes tomarán sus asientos antes de que empiece la presentación.
English: The visitors will take their seats before the presentation begins.
Spanish: Ustedes tomarán la ruta más corta para llegar al parque.
English: You all will take the shortest route to get to the park.
In these examples, the subject may be stated directly, as in los estudiantes, or understood from the context. Spanish often leaves out a subject pronoun when the verb ending makes the subject clear. For instance, tomarán can stand alone if the conversation already makes clear who will act. Adding ellos or ellas is possible when you want to name or emphasize the group.
Notice that English chooses different verbs in the translations: take, drink, have, and make. This is normal. The Spanish verb remains the same because tomar covers several related actions. Learn it in short phrases, such as tomar el autobús, tomar agua, and tomar una decisión. These common combinations make it easier to choose the right English meaning when you encounter the verb.
Synonyms, Antonyms, and Word Usage Differences
There is no single synonym that replaces tomarán in every sentence. The best alternative depends on the intended meaning. For taking or carrying an object, llevarán may mean they will take or carry it somewhere. For drinking, beberán is a direct alternative, especially when the action of drinking is the focus. For choosing, elegirán means they will choose. For making a decision, decidirán means they will decide, while tomarán una decisión is a common Spanish expression meaning they will make a decision.
Compare these phrases: tomarán el autobús and viajarán en autobús can both describe going by bus. The first literally presents the bus as something the people take; the second emphasizes traveling by bus. Tomarán café and beberán café both refer to drinking coffee, though tomar café is a very common everyday phrase. If you want to stress the physical act of drinking, beberán may be a clearer choice.
For moving an item to a place, llevarán often emphasizes carrying or bringing it along. Tomarán sus mochilas can mean they will take their backpacks, while llevarán sus mochilas al salón means they will carry their backpacks to the classroom. The difference is not always strict, and natural usage can vary by region and context. Pay attention to the destination and the action being described.
Possible opposites also depend on the meaning. If tomar means to accept or choose an option, rechazarán, meaning they will reject, may express the opposite. If it means to take an item, dejarán, meaning they will leave or put down, may contrast with it. If it means to drink, no single opposite verb works in all cases; they may simply not drink something. These are contextual contrasts rather than fixed antonyms for the verb.
It is also useful to distinguish tomarán from tomaránse or other forms you might encounter in older or specialized writing. In normal modern Spanish, use tomarán without an attached pronoun. Do not confuse it with tomaron, which means they took or drank in the past, or toman, which commonly means they take or drink in the present. The endings provide important time clues.
A simple choice guide can help. Use tomarán when a plural subject will take, drink, use, or choose something in the future. Use beberán when you specifically mean they will drink. Use llevarán when carrying or bringing something is the main idea. Use elegirán for selecting from alternatives. If you are unsure, look at the noun after the verb and the situation described by the rest of the sentence.
Pronunciation and Accent
Tomarán is pronounced approximately toh-mah-RAHN. Its IPA transcription is /to.maˈɾan/. The symbol /ɾ/ represents the light Spanish r, a quick tap of the tongue just behind the upper teeth. The word has three syllables: to, ma, and rán. Keep the vowels clear and short rather than turning them into English-style vowel combinations.
The strongest stress falls on the final syllable, rán. The written accent over á marks that stress: to-ma-RÁN. This accent is important because the future endings for él, ella, or usted and for ellos, ellas, or ustedes include a stressed final vowel. In tomarán, the ending -án signals both the future tense and the plural subject.
English speakers sometimes put the stress on the first syllable, as in TO-ma-ran, or pronounce the final syllable with an English diphthong. Try saying each vowel clearly: toh, mah, rahn. The Spanish a is an open ah sound, similar to the vowel in father for many English speakers. The final n should be audible, but it does not need a strong release.
Do not make the r sound like the English r. The Spanish single r between vowels is usually a quick tap, not a long or strongly rounded sound. You can practice by saying the English phrase a butter quickly, where some accents produce a similar brief tongue tap, then use that light movement in the middle of the Spanish word. Listen to native audio when possible and repeat the full word in a sentence.
The accent mark is not optional in standard spelling. Writing tomaran without the accent changes the written form and may cause confusion with another verb form. When typing, include the acute accent on the a: á. Learning the spelling together with the sound is useful because the ending appears in many other future verbs, such as hablarán and comerán.
Native Speaker Nuance and Usage Context
Native speakers use tomarán in both casual conversation and more formal situations. It can appear in a family plan, a class announcement, a travel schedule, or a written set of directions. The word itself is not especially formal or informal. The tone comes from the rest of the sentence and the relationship between the speakers.
The simple future is one way to talk about future plans, but Spanish speakers also often use ir a plus an infinitive. For example, van a tomar el autobús means they are going to take the bus. Tomarán el autobús is also correct and can sound like they will take the bus. The simple future may feel concise, neutral, or a little more formal in some settings, while ir a often sounds conversational and connected to a plan already in view. This is a general tendency, not a strict rule.
In everyday speech, the subject is often omitted. If someone asks what a group of guests will drink, a speaker might answer tomarán agua, because the guests are already understood. If the group needs to be made clear, the speaker can say ellos tomarán agua or ustedes tomarán agua. The pronoun ustedes is used for plural you in Latin America and in many formal contexts in Spain; vosotros tomaréis is common for informal plural you in much of Spain.
The surrounding noun often gives the intended sense. After a drink name, tomar usually means to drink or have. After a vehicle or route, it commonly means to take. Before a word such as decisión, it belongs to a familiar expression meaning to make a decision. Spanish learners can build fluency by learning these word partnerships instead of translating tomar as one fixed English word.
In some contexts, the future tense can also express a guess about the present, although the time meaning depends on the situation. A sentence such as ¿Qué tomarán? most often asks what they will have or drink, especially when discussing a meal. In a suitable context, a speaker could use a future form to wonder or make an assumption. For beginners, the most useful first meaning is still a future action.
Regional preferences can vary. In many places, tomar is a normal choice for having a drink, while beber is also understood and may be preferred when the act of drinking is being emphasized. The safest approach is to notice how speakers in the region use common phrases, while remembering that both verbs can be correct. Avoid assuming that every English meaning of take translates with tomar; phrases such as take a photograph often use tomar, but take a shower may be expressed differently depending on region and habit.
Conclusion
Tomarán is the simple future form of tomar used with they or plural you. It can mean they will take, drink, use, or choose, depending on the context. The verb often appears in useful everyday combinations, including taking a bus, having a drink, taking photos, and making a decision. Since English uses several different verbs to translate it, learn the surrounding phrase as well as the verb form.
Remember the structure: tomar plus -án forms tomarán, and the accent mark shows that the final syllable receives the stress. Say it as toh-mah-RAHN, with clear Spanish vowels and a light tapped r. When choosing between tomar and related verbs such as beber, llevar, or elegir, focus on the action and the words around it. Recognizing this form will help you understand plans, schedules, and everyday conversations, and it gives you a useful model for forming the future tense of many regular Spanish verbs.
