bere acqua
/ˈbe.re ˈak.kwa/word by word
The Italian phrase for "drink water" is bere acqua.
The phrase bere acqua means to consume water by swallowing it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb bere can change to beva when used in the present subjunctive mood. The past participle of the verb is bevuto. Note that bevere is an archaic form of the verb and is no longer the standard modern form.
How do you pronounce it?
The phrase consists of 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- In many parts of Italy, if you are at a restaurant and want to 'drink water', you might specifically ask for acqua naturale to avoid the carbonated variety.
- The ancient ancestor of bere is the Latin 'bibere', which is the direct origin of the English word 'bibulous', describing someone who drinks a lot.
- The word acqua is used in the common idiom acqua e sapone, meaning 'soap and water', to describe a natural look without makeup.
Examples in context
- Lui deve bere acqua.She has to drink water.This sentence shows how to express an obligation involving bere acqua.Tatoeba #4954305 by Guybrush88, translation #2896413 by abburns
- Non voglio bere acqua.I don't want to drink water.This sentence shows how to express a lack of desire regarding bere acqua.Tatoeba #13083952 by Guybrush88, translation #12943791 by araneo
- Ho bisogno di bere acqua.I need to drink water.This sentence shows how to express a need to bere acqua.Tatoeba #13943384 by Guybrush88, translation #10056871 by DJ_Saidez
- Puoi bere dell'acqua?Can you drink some water?
- Ti consiglio di bere acquaI recommend you drink water
- È importante bere acquaIt's important to drink water
- Bevi subito dell'acquaDrink water right away
- Non puoi fare a meno di bere acquaYou cannot do without drinking water
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are hiking on a sunny day.
- GiuliaFrancesco, vuoi bere acqua adesso?Francesco, do you want to drink water now?
- FrancescoSì, ho molta sete.Yes, I am very thirsty.
- GiuliaDobbiamo bere acqua spesso oggi.We need to drink water often today.
- FrancescoHai ragione, grazie Giulia.You are right, thank you Giulia.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (bere, acqua) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries acqua, bere, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
