tomar sorbos de té
/tomaɾ soɾbos de te/from spelling rules
To sip tea in Spanish is tomar sorbos de té.
The phrase tomar sorbos de té is used to describe the act of drinking tea by taking small mouthfuls slowly.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from the verb tomar (to take or to drink), the noun sorbos (sips) and de té (of tea).
Which one should you use?
While tomar sorbos de té implies a continuous action of sipping, if you want to refer to a single sip, you should use dar un sorbo de té (to take a sip of tea).
How does it change in a sentence?
In this phrase, the noun sorbos is the plural form of sorbo (a sip).
How do you pronounce it?
/tomaɾ soɾbos de te/
Did you know?
- Spanish has a linguistic 'doublet' for tea. While té is the standard word, the word cha also exists and refers to the same plant, reflecting different historical trade routes.
- The word sorbo can be used figuratively in Spanish to describe a small amount of something, such as un sorbo de aire to describe taking a quick breath of fresh air.
- In some Latin American regions, you might hear people use the verb sorber directly as an intransitive verb to describe the sound of someone sipping through a straw.
Examples in context
- Me gusta tomar sorbos de té cuando hace frío.I like to sip tea when it is cold.
- Ella prefiere tomar sorbos de té en la tarde.She prefers to sip tea in the afternoon.
- No bebas rápido, es mejor tomar sorbos de té.Don't drink fast, it is better to sip tea.
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are relaxing in a living room.
- LucíaAlejandro, ¿quieres tomar sorbos de té conmigo?Alejandro, do you want to sip some tea with me?
- AlejandroSí, me encantaría, Lucía.Yes, I would love to, Lucía.
- LucíaTen cuidado, el té está muy caliente.Be careful, the tea is very hot.
- AlejandroGracias, lo beberé muy despacio.Thanks, I will drink it very slowly.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, tomar, té, CC BY-SA 4.0.
