bébete una por mí
/bebete una poɾ mi/from spelling rules
The English phrase "drink one for me" is translated into Spanish as bébete una por mí.
A request for someone to have an alcoholic drink on behalf of the speaker when they cannot be present.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the reflexive verb beberse (to drink up/to finish), the pronoun una (one, referring to a drink) and the prepositional phrase por mí (for/on behalf of me).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The use of the tú imperative form makes this phrase informal and suitable for friends or peers.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word una is the feminine form of one, used here because it implicitly refers to una copa (a glass/drink) or una cerveza (a beer). If you want to refer to a specific drink already mentioned (like 'the drink'), you can replace una with the direct object pronoun la to get bébatela por mí.
Did you know?
- The word copa implied by una refers to a glass, but it also means 'the top of a tree' or 'the canopy' in Spanish.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, a toast is often accompanied by a physical gesture of clinking glasses and making eye contact, as failing to do so is sometimes considered bad luck.
- The word por in por mí comes from the Latin prō, which originally meant 'in front of' or 'on behalf of'.
Examples in context
- Bébete una por mí esta noche.Drink one for me tonight.
- No puedo ir, así que bébete una por mí.I can't go, so drink one for me.
- Si estás en la fiesta, bébete una por mí.If you are at the party, drink one for me.
Example conversation
Daniel is calling María while she is at a bar.
- Daniel¡Hola María! ¿Estás en el bar?Hello María! Are you at the bar?
- MaríaSí, Daniel. Estoy con unos amigos.Yes, Daniel. I am with some friends.
- DanielQué envidia, bébete una por mí.I'm jealous, drink one for me.
- María¡Claro que sí, lo haré!Of course, I will!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mí, por, una, CC BY-SA 4.0.
