ginger ale
/xinxeɾ ale/from spelling rules
In Spanish, the phrase for "ginger ale" is ginger ale.
The term refers to a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger.
How do you pronounce it?
/xinxeɾ ale/
Did you know?
- The word for the flavoring, jengibre, is a linguistic relic of the Middle Ages that entered the Spanish language through Arabic influence.
- While 'ale' refers to a type of beer in English, the Spanish term ale in this context has been stripped of its alcoholic association and refers strictly to the soft drink.
- The word ale in the phrase is an unadapted borrowing from English. Unlike most English words used in Spanish, it does not undergo any spelling changes to fit Spanish phonology.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría pedir un refresco de jengibre, por favorI would like to order a ginger ale, please
- ¿Tienes gaseosa de jengibre?Do you have ginger ale?
- ¿Me das un ginger ale, por favor?Can I have a ginger ale, please?
- ¿Tienes Schweppes de jengibre?Do you have Schweppes ginger ale?
- Me gustaría un ginger ale con hielo, por favor.I would like a ginger ale with ice, please.
- ¿Tienes ginger ale en la nevera?Do you have ginger ale in the fridge?
- El ginger ale es muy refrescante en verano.Ginger ale is very refreshing in summer.
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are at a restaurant.
- Daniel¿Qué quieres beber, Sofía?What do you want to drink, Sofía?
- SofíaQuisiera una ginger ale con hielo.I would like a ginger ale with ice.
- DanielYo voy a pedir lo mismo.I am going to order the same thing.
- SofíaPerfecto, el ginger ale es delicioso.Perfect, ginger ale is delicious.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ale, CC BY-SA 4.0.
