¿me das un poco de agua?
The English phrase "can I have some water" is expressed in Spanish as ¿me das un poco de agua?
This phrase is a polite request used to ask someone to give you a small amount of water to drink. In this context, the part un poco de (a little bit of) is used to mean "some" when referring to an uncountable liquid like water.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿me das un poco de agua? literally translates to "Will you give me a little bit of water?"
Which one should you use?
The default form ¿me das un poco de agua? uses the tú (informal) conjugation of the verb dar, making it suitable for friends, family or peers.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can make the request more polite by using the verb poder (can) with the formal usted form, as in ¿me puede dar un poco de agua? which means "Can you give me a little bit of water?"
Did you know?
- Although agua is a feminine noun, it is used with the masculine article el in the singular, as in el agua, to avoid the awkward sound of two stressed 'a' sounds meeting.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, asking for agua in a restaurant might result in being served sparkling water or bottled water, as tap water is not always the default.
- While agua is the word for water, the Spanish language uses the phrase agua con gas to specify sparkling water and agua sin gas for still water.
Examples in context
- En el restaurante: ¿Podría darme agua mineral, por favor?In the restaurant: Could you please give me some mineral water?
- En la conferencia: ¿Podría pedir un vaso de agua, por favor?In the conference: Could I order a glass of water, please?
- Entre amigos: ¿Me das agua, por favor?Among friends: Can you give me some water, please?
- En casa de alguien: ¿Puedes traerme agua, por favor?At someone's house: Can you bring me some water, please?
- ¿me das un poco de agua, por favor?Can I have some water, please?
- Tengo mucha sed, ¿me das un poco de agua?I am very thirsty, can I have some water?
- Si es posible, ¿me das un poco de agua?If possible, can I have a little water?
Example conversation
Daniel is at a friend's house and feels thirsty.
- DanielLucía, ¿me das un poco de agua?Lucía, can I have some water?
- LucíaClaro, ¿quieres un vaso con hielo?Sure, do you want a glass with ice?
- DanielSí, por favor, muchas gracias.Yes, please, thank you very much.
- LucíaDe nada, Daniel.You're welcome, Daniel.
