Escoger

Escoger is a Spanish verb meaning to choose or select. It is transitive and typically takes a direct object, as in “escoger una opción” or “escogió a su representante.” The verb is widely used across Spanish-speaking regions, with regional preferences for synonyms such as elegir or seleccionar.

Etymology and usage notes: Escoger originates in Old Spanish and is closely related to other Romance verbs meaning to select. In contemporary usage, it overlaps with elegir, but escogera tends to be used when picking from a set of options or items, sometimes with a practical or convenience-oriented nuance. Regiónally, escoger is particularly common in Latin America; in Spain, elegir is often preferred, though both are understood and used.

Conjugation overview: The present tense is irregular in the yo form: yo escojo, tú escoges, él/ella/usted escoge, nosotros escogemos, vosotros escogéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes escogen. Other tenses are mostly regular, for example: preterite escogí, escogiste, escogió, escogimos, escogisteis, escogieron; imperfect escogía, escogías, escogía, escogíamos, escogíais, escogían; future escogeré, escogerás, escogerá, escogeremos, escogeréis, escogerán. Subjunctive present escoja, escojas, escoja, escojamos, escojáis, escojan. The imperative forms are affirmative: escoge, escoja, escojamos, escoged, escojan; negative: no escojas, no escoja, no escojáis, no escojan.