agua potable
/ˌaɡwa poˈtable/
The English phrase "drinking water" is agua potable in Spanish.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective potable means "potable" or "drinkable" in English.
Which one should you use?
While agua para beber literally means "water for drinking", agua potable is the standard technical and common term for water that is safe to drink.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Agua de tomar is commonly used in Latin American countries. In Spain, some people might use agua de beber instead of agua para beber.
How does it change in a sentence?
Although agua is a feminine noun, it uses the masculine article el in the singular form to avoid a double "a" sound (el agua).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌaɡwa poˈtable/
Did you know?
- While agua potable is the standard term for safe water, if you are in a restaurant in some Spanish-speaking countries, asking for agua might result in sparkling water being served instead of still water.
- The word potable stems from the Latin verb 'potare', which is the same root found in the English word 'potion'.
- The word agua is a direct descendant of the Latin aqua, which also gave rise to words like 'aquarium' and 'aqueduct' in English.
Examples in context
- Tom llenó la botella con agua potable.Tom filled the bottle with drinking water.Tatoeba #1919694 by marcelostockle, translation #1025766 by CK
- Hay una necesidad urgente de agua potable.There is an urgent need for drinking water.Tatoeba #1696241 by teskmon, translation #903693 by CK
- El agua potable sucia puede provocar enfermedades.Dirty drinking water can cause sickness.Tatoeba #1859599 by marcelostockle, translation #682025 by Source_VOA
- En esta región, siempre se aseguran de tener agua potable para los visitantes.In this region, they always make sure to have drinking water for visitors.
- Siempre es importante llevar una botella de agua de tomar durante los días calurosos.It's always important to carry a bottle of drinking water during hot days.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are checking the supplies in their kitchen.
- Lucía¿Tenemos suficiente agua potable?Do we have enough drinking water?
- JavierNo, Lucía, nos queda muy poca.No, Lucía, we have very little left.
- LucíaEntonces, iré a la tienda ahora.Then, I will go to the store now.
- JavierGracias, yo te ayudo a cargar las botellas.Thanks, I will help you carry the bottles.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry agua potable, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agua, potable, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
