tráeme agua
/tɾaeme aɡwa/from spelling rules
To say "get me water" in Spanish, use tráeme agua.
The phrase is used to request that someone bring water to you.
What does it mean word for word?
The word tráeme is a combination of the imperative verb trae (bring) and the indirect object pronoun me (to me).
Which one should you use?
Tráeme agua uses the informal imperative, which is used with friends, family or people you know well. In contrast, using tráigame agua changes the command from the informal tú form to the formal usted form.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For speaking to strangers, elders or in professional settings like a restaurant, you should use tráigame agua or more elaborate phrases like ¿Podría traerme agua, por favor? or ¿Me podría conseguir agua, por favor? If you are in an informal setting, you might say Pásame agua, por favor to mean "Pass me water, please."
How do you pronounce it?
/tɾaeme aɡwa/
Did you know?
- The English word 'ea' is an extremely rare, archaic relative of the Spanish agua, both tracing back to the same Proto-Indo-European root for water.
- The word agua is a feminine noun, but because it begins with a stressed 'a' sound, you must use the masculine article el agua in the singular. However, if you add an adjective, you still use the feminine form, such as el agua fría.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you use the formal tráigame agua in a very casual setting, like a family dinner, you might actually offend someone by being too distant.
Examples in context
- Tráeme agua, por favor.Get me water, please.
- Tengo mucha sed, tráeme agua.I am very thirsty, get me water.
- Tráeme agua de la cocina.Get me water from the kitchen.
Example conversation
Javier is feeling hot in the living room.
- JavierElena, tengo calor, tráeme agua.Elena, I am hot, get me water.
- ElenaClaro, ¿quieres agua fría?Of course, do you want cold water?
- JavierSí, por favor.Yes, please.
- ElenaAquí tienes, Javier.Here you go, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agua, CC BY-SA 4.0.
