¿puedo tomar un vaso de agua?
The English phrase 'may I get a drink of water' is translated into Spanish as ¿puedo tomar un vaso de agua?
This phrase is a polite request used to ask for permission or a favor to have some water. When making this request, it is more natural in Spanish to ask for un vaso de agua (a glass of water) rather than a literal 'drink' of water.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to 'Can I drink a glass of water?', where un vaso de agua means 'a glass of water'.
Which one should you use?
While the verb beber specifically means 'to drink', the verb tomar (to take/to drink) is much more common in many Spanish-speaking regions when requesting a beverage. You can also use the alternative ¿me da un vaso de agua?, which translates to 'Will you give me a glass of water?' and uses the verb dar (to give) to ask for the water more directly.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make your request more polite and indirect, you can use the conditional form ¿podría tomar un vaso de agua?, which translates to 'Could I have a glass of water?' instead of the standard ¿puedo tomar un vaso de agua?
Did you know?
- The word agua is feminine, but it uses the masculine article el in the singular form el agua to avoid a clashing sound.
- In Spain, if you ask for agua in a bar, you might be asked if you want agua con gas (sparkling) or agua sin gas (still), as bottled water is rarely served plain by default.
- The word vaso comes from the Latin vāsum, which is the same ancestor used for the English word 'vessel'.
Examples in context
- ¿Podría pedir un poco de agua, por favor?Could I ask for some water, please?
- ¿Sería posible que me diera un poco de agua, por favor?Would it be possible for you to give me some water, please?
- ¿Puedo tomar agua?Can I have some water?
- ¿Me das un poco de agua, por favor?Can you give me some water, please?
- Disculpe, ¿puedo tomar un vaso de agua?Excuse me, may I have a glass of water?
- Tengo sed, ¿puedo tomar un vaso de agua?I am thirsty, may I have a glass of water?
Example conversation
Lucía is a guest at Alejandro's house during a long conversation.
- LucíaAlejandro, ¿puedo tomar un vaso de agua?Alejandro, may I have a glass of water?
- AlejandroClaro que sí, Lucía. En la cocina está la jarra.Of course, Lucía. The pitcher is in the kitchen.
- LucíaMuchas gracias por tu hospitalidad.Thank you very much for your hospitality.
- AlejandroNo hay de qué, siéntete como en casa.You're welcome, make yourself at home.
