bebericar
/be.be.ɾiˈka(ʁ)/
To sip in Portuguese is bebericar. Wiktionary also lists sorver.
Meaning: to drink slowly, small mouthfuls at a time (verb)
Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA |
|---|---|
| bebericar | /be.be.ɾiˈka(ʁ)/ (Brazil) /be.be.ɾiˈka(ɾ)/ (São Paulo) |
| sorver | /soʁˈve(ʁ)/ (Brazil) |
The verb bebericar means to drink slowly, small mouthfuls at a time. If you want to refer to a single sip or mouthful as a noun, use gole.
Which one should you use?
sorver is a more formal or literary term that can also imply the action of sucking or slurping a liquid. Additionally, bebericar is the verb for the action of sipping, whereas um gole is the noun used to refer to a single sip or mouthful.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
bebericar is pronounced /be.be.ɾiˈka(ʁ)/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The word sorver shares a common ancestor with the English word 'absorb', both tracing back to the Latin 'sorbere'.
- In Brazil, dar um gole can be used colloquially to describe taking a quick, large gulp of a drink, which contradicts the slow nature of bebericar.
- While bebericar refers to sipping a drink, the noun gole is used in the common idiom dar um gole, which literally means 'to give a sip' but is used to mean 'to take a sip'.
Examples in context
- Eu gosto de beber meu chá em pequenos golesI like to sip my tea
- Posso tomar um gole do seu suco?Can I take a sip of your juice?
- Eu só vou dar um golinho no caféI'll just take a little sip of the coffee
- Ao apreciar um bom vinho, é importante beber em pequenos goles para saborear melhor.When enjoying a good wine, it's important to sip it to better savor it.
- O especialista em chá sugeriu tomar um gole para sentir todas as notas aromáticas.The tea expert suggested taking a sip to experience all the aromatic notes.
- Ele está apenas a bebericar o café.He is just sipping the coffee.
- Eu gosto de bebericar o café quente.I like to sip hot coffee.
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Camila are at a cafe during a rainy afternoon.
- RodrigoO seu chá está bom, Camila?Is your tea good, Camila?
- CamilaSim, estou a bebericar devagar para apreciar.Yes, I am sipping it slowly to enjoy it.
- RodrigoEu também vou bebericar o meu.I am going to sip mine too.
- CamilaÉ a melhor forma de beber este chá.It is the best way to drink this tea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sip” translations and entries bebericar, sorver, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sorver, CC BY-SA 4.0.
