How to Say “Can I Have a Drink, Please?” in Spanish

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¿me da una bebida, por favor?
To say "can I have a drink, please?" in Spanish, use ¿me da una bebida, por favor?
¿me da una bebida, por favor? is a polite request used to ask someone to provide a beverage. While the phrase una bebida is grammatically correct for "a drink", speakers in many Spanish-speaking countries often prefer to specify the exact type of drink they want, such as un agua (a water), un café (a coffee) or una cerveza (a beer), instead of using the generic term for beverage.

What does it mean word for word?

The phrase literally translates to "Will you give me a drink, please?" using the formal usted form of the verb dar (to give).

Which one should you use?

While ¿me da una bebida, por favor? is a standard polite request, other variations change the nuance of the action: ¿Podría darme una bebida, por favor? translates to "Could you give me a drink, please?", ¿Me podría servir una bebida, por favor? means "Could you serve me a drink, please?" and ¿Podría traerme una bebida, por favor? means "Could you bring me a drink, please?"

Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?

The default form ¿me da una bebida, por favor? is formal because it uses the usted conjugation, making it appropriate for use with waiters, staff or strangers in a polite setting. For more formal requests, you can use ¿Podría darme una bebida, por favor?, ¿Me podría servir una bebida, por favor? or ¿Podría traerme una bebida, por favor? In informal situations, you might say ¿Me das una bebida, por favor? (Can you give me a drink, please?) or ¿Me pones una bebida, por favor? (Can you get me a drink, please?).

Did you know?

  • In Spain, you might hear ¿me pones una bebida?, where the verb poner literally means 'to put'. This phrasing is common in bars and suggests the server is 'putting' the drink on the counter for you.
  • In some Latin American countries, asking for una bebida without specifying the type might be interpreted as asking for a soft drink or soda specifically.
  • Spanish uses the verb dar ('to give') in ¿me da una bebida? where English uses 'have'. Using tener ('to have') in this context would be a mistake, as it refers to possession rather than requesting service.

Examples in context

  • Señor, ¿me da una bebida, por favor?
    Sir, can I have a drink, please?
  • Si es posible, ¿me da una bebida, por favor?
    If possible, can I have a drink, please?

Example conversation

Alejandro is ordering at a hotel lobby bar.

  1. Alejandro

    Hola, ¿me da una bebida, por favor?
    Hello, can I have a drink, please?
  2. Elena

    Claro, Alejandro. ¿Qué desea tomar?
    Of course, Alejandro. What would you like to drink?
  3. Alejandro

    Quiero un jugo de naranja, gracias.
    I want an orange juice, thank you.
  4. Elena

    Muy bien, se lo traigo enseguida.
    Very well, I will bring it to you right away.
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Thelma Cora
Thelma CoraHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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