What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ¿me das agua? translates to 'Will you give me water?'
Which one should you use?
The default form ¿me das agua? uses the informal 'tú' conjugation. For more formal settings, you can use ¿Podría darme agua, por favor? to say "Could you give me water, please?", ¿Podría proporcionarme agua, por favor? to say "Could you provide me with water, please?" or ¿Sería posible que me diera agua, por favor? which means "Would it be possible for you to give me water, please?" In an informal setting, if you want someone to pass you the water rather than give it to you, you can say ¿Me pasas agua, por favor? which means "Can you pass me water, please?"
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the literal translation ¿Puedo tener agua? for "Can I have water?" This sounds unnatural in Spanish. Use ¿me das agua? instead.
When do people say it?
A more indirect and highly polite way to ask for water is Quisiera un agua, por favor.
Did you know?
- The word agua is one of the few feminine nouns in Spanish that uses the masculine article el in the singular, such as in el agua, to avoid the clashing sound of two 'a' sounds.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, asking for agua in a restaurant will automatically result in a bottle of mineral water rather than a free glass of tap water.
- In some regions, asking for agua without specifying 'natural' or 'gas' may lead the server to ask ¿con gas o sin gas?
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿podría darme agua, por favor?Excuse me, could you give me water, please?
- Oye, ¿me das agua, por favor?Hey, can you give me water, please?
- Tengo mucha sed, ¿me das agua?I am very thirsty, can you give me some water?
- Si estás en la cocina, ¿me das agua?If you are in the kitchen, can you give me some water?
Example conversation
At a dinner party at home.
- ElenaAlejandro, ¿me das agua?Alejandro, can you give me some water?
- AlejandroSí, Elena. Aquí tienes.Yes, Elena. Here you go.
- ElenaMuchas gracias.Thank you very much.
- AlejandroDe nada.You're welcome.
