vaso
/ˈbaso/
The English phrase "drinking glass" is translated into Spanish as vaso.
The term vaso pequeño means "small glass".
Which one should you use?
Use vaso for a standard water or juice glass, but use copa for a glass with a stem, such as a wine glass.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of vaso is vasos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈbaso/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use vidrio to refer to the drinking vessel itself. vidrio refers to the material (glass), whereas vaso refers to the object (the glass).
Did you know?
- In Spanish medical terminology, vaso also refers to a blood vessel, such as in the phrase vasos sanguíneos.
- The word vaso shares a common ancestor with the English word 'vase', as both stem from the Latin 'vās' meaning a vessel or container.
- In Spain, if you ask for a vaso in a bar, you might be served a caña, which is a specific small glass of draught beer.
Examples in context
- Oye, ¿me pasas un vaso de vidrio?Hey, can you pass me a drinking glass?
- Un vaso de agua, por favor.A glass of water, please.
- Necesito un vaso de agua.I need a glass of water.
- El vaso está sobre la mesa.The glass is on the table.
- ¿Puedes traer un vaso limpio?Can you bring a clean glass?
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are in the kitchen having a drink.
- Javier¿Tienes un vaso para mí, Elena?Do you have a glass for me, Elena?
- ElenaSí, aquí tienes el vaso.Yes, here is the glass.
- JavierGracias, el vaso está muy frío.Thanks, the glass is very cold.
- ElenaEs porque lo saqué del refrigerador.It is because I took it out of the refrigerator.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vaso, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vaso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
