Es mi bebida favorita.
It's my favorite drink.
Some people order the same thing for years and never try anything else, and mi bebida favorita is how they name it.
From Hechizo del tiempo · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "drink" in Spanish
la bebida
noun: la bebidafeminineverb: beber
"Drink" in Spanish is la bebida when you mean the thing in your glass, and beber when you mean the action: Bebo café todos los días. In much of Latin America tomar is the everyday verb for drinking, and in Spain tomar algo means to go for a drink.
Hear "bebida" and "beber" in real movie scenes
First the noun, then the verb. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¿Bebes esto todos los días?
You drink this every day?
Sip the same sugary, milky drink day after day and someone will ask you this. Bebes is the tú form of beber: you drink.
From The Office · Spanish audio
Drink words for bars and cafés
The noun, the verbs, and what people say when they go out.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la bebida | a drink, any drink |
| beber | to drink |
| tomar | to drink, to have (very common in Latin America) |
| tomar algo | to go for a drink, to grab something |
| una copa | a drink, usually alcoholic (Spain) |
| un refresco | a soft drink, a soda |
Tip: At a table, a waiter will often ask ¿Qué van a tomar?, which means "What are you all having?"
Grammar: la bebida and beber
Two words, one for the thing and one for the action.
La bebida is feminine
la bebida, una bebida típica, las bebidas. Anything describing it ends in -a.Beber is a regular -er verb
bebo, bebes, bebe, bebemos, bebéis, beben. The ending tells you who drinks, so yo is optional.No article for drinks in general
Bebo café. Bebo agua. Add an article only for one specific drink: Bebo el café de la mesa.Beber or tomar
Both mean to drink. Tomar also means to have or take, so tomar un café is to have a coffee.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Son unas bebidas típicas.
They're typical drinks.
Hace frío. Bebo un café.
It's cold. I'm having a coffee.
¿Te preparo una bebida?
Can I make you a drink?
Ya no bebo.
I don't drink anymore.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗la bebida es típico
✓la bebida es típica
The adjective follows bebida, which is feminine, so it ends in -a.
✗Yo bebe café
✓Yo bebo café
With yo the verb ends in -o. Bebe is for he, she or usted.
✗¿Quieres un beber? (offering a drink)
✓¿Quieres algo de beber?
Beber is only the verb. For the drink itself, say una bebida or algo de beber.
Real conversation: a drink at the market
A short dialog at a market stall. Tap to listen.
At a market stall, the vendor offers you the local drink and puts the cup in your hand.
Es una bebida de aquí.
It's a drink from around here.
¿Es café?
Is it coffee?
No, es de la selva.
No, it comes from the jungle.
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 22 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
El bebé bebe: the baby drinks. Picture a baby with a bottle, and both beber and bebida will stick.
Questions about "drink" in Spanish
How do you say drink in Spanish?
The noun is la bebida: una bebida típica. The verb is beber, or tomar in much of Latin America.
How do you say "I drink" in Spanish?
Bebo. You don't need yo: Bebo café todos los días.
How do you ask "do you want a drink?" in Spanish?
¿Quieres algo de beber? or ¿Quieres tomar algo? Both sound friendly and natural.
What's the difference between beber and tomar?
Both mean to drink. Tomar is the more common choice in Latin America, and it also means to take or to have.
