¿puedo tomar agua?
In Spanish, "may I get water" is said as ¿puedo tomar agua?
This phrase is a polite request used to ask for permission to drink or to have some water.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿puedo tomar agua? literally translates to "Can I drink water?", where puedo means "I can", tomar means "to take/drink" and agua means "water".
Which one should you use?
While tomar is commonly used for "to drink" in many regions, in some contexts it can also mean "to take" or "to consume".
How does it change in a sentence?
Using the conditional form podría instead of puedo makes the request even more polite and indirect.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿puedo tomar agua? in a restaurant might result in being served bottled water rather than tap water, as tap water is not always potable.
- While agua is a feminine noun, you actually use the masculine article el when saying el agua to avoid a clash of vowel sounds.
- In many Latin American countries, using tomar can be a euphemism for consuming alcohol, much like the English expression 'to have a drink'.
Examples in context
- Oye, ¿puedo tomar agua, por favor?Hey, can I have some water, please?
- Tengo mucha sed, ¿puedo tomar agua?I am very thirsty, may I drink water?
- Tengo sed, ¿puedo tomar agua?I am thirsty, may I drink some water?
- Si es posible, ¿puedo tomar agua?If possible, may I have some water?
Example conversation
Daniel is visiting Lucía at her home.
- DanielHola, Lucía. ¿Puedo tomar agua?Hi, Lucia. May I get some water?
- LucíaSí, claro. Está en la cocina.Yes, of course. It is in the kitchen.
- DanielMuchas gracias.Thank you very much.
- LucíaDe nada, Daniel.You're welcome, Daniel.
