The verb to collect or collect is one of the most confusing verbs in the entire Spanish language. The reason is that it has several ways of being written in different conjugations, that is, sometimes it is written with j and other times it is written with g.
The fact is that many people do not know how to write it correctly and get confused when they try to conjugate it. For example, they put the j where the g goes, the g where the jo goes, they write everything with the same letter. This is the most common, since normally we tend to think that if in other verbs it always goes with the same letter, here it is the same.
However, knowing if it is written pick up or pick up is not so simple, since we can have this little confusion. Also, there is a certain verb that can also confuse you in this and can lead you to this error.
The good thing is that we do know how to write it, but not only that, we also know the reasons why it is written that way and best of all, we can teach you everything.
Knowing does not take up space, but you always need someone to guide you. So if you wanted to learn how these words are written, you’re in the right place. Pay attention and don’t get distracted.
It is written pick up and not pick up
The first thing we see is that, if we can pick up, the checker automatically translates it to pick up. For this reason, we will instantly know that collecting is the correct way to write.
The confusion arose because if we conjugate the verb in other tenses, we can see that it is said, for example, I pick up, which goes with j. This is what has created all the confusion for us, because we see that although the verb to pick up is with j, they are using j.
Now you will want to know the reason for this, since we all know how to use the concealer. However, if you are writing on paper, you will not have it at hand and you will need to learn the rule, so as not to get confused anymore.
The e and the i are the key
The reason is simple. The letters “e” and “i” are letters that are treated in a completely different way than all the others. In this case, the sound next to a g sounds very different with other letters.
For example, if we say catch, we are writing the word that would be pronounced with the sound of j, that is, catch, but catch is written by the norm. In the case of wanting to write with the sound of g, we must use a u, which acts as a link and does not sound.
For example, the word war is said with the sound of g, that is, if we write gerra without the u, we are going to want to say a word that is read jerra, that is, with the sound of j.
This also applies to the letter i, with words like stew, in which the u is not silent. There is an exception to this rule called umlaut, in which the u is not silent and a colon is placed above the u. A good example would be stork, in which the u is read and if it did not have the points, the u would be silent and would not be correct.
The rule applies to everything
Do not think that this rule is an exclusive rule of this verb, but that it applies to all the others as well. For example, we are also going to be applying it to the verb to catch, which is almost the same as this one.
For example, here we are going to say take because there is an e or took because there is an i. However, we are going to say lame or lame or lame with these three letters, because these three go with the j by the spelling rule.
So when you have any doubt and you see that there are words of the verb written by j and others by g, you know what is the real reason behind this. The only reason is that g works differently with e and i with respect to the other letters, so it’s no coincidence that they are always different.
Look at the letter next to j and g and you’ll know exactly how to say it. Another way is to read the word, since knowing how each sound is said, we will know it. For example, we know that war is said and not war because we read with the g and not with the j.
There is more information in this link, in which it is explained in even more detail, but this time with the verb to take. Here the entire verb is conjugated, in which we will see exactly how when a “u”, “o” or “a” comes after it, there is a j and if there is an “e” or “i” there is a g.