Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| refresco | /reˈfɾesko/ | Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, masculine |
| gaseosa | /ɡaseˈosa/ | feminine |
| bebida | /beˈbida/ | Chile, feminine |
| soda | /ˈsoda/ | Bolivia, Mexico, Northern, Panama, Puerto Rico, feminine |
| agua (colloquial – short for agua gaseosa) | Guatemala, feminine | |
| casera | /kaˈseɾa/ | Spain, colloquial, feminine |
| chesco | /ˈt͡ʃesko/ | Mexico, colloquial, masculine |
| fresco | /ˈfɾesko/ | Venezuela, masculine |
| bebida de fantasia | /bebida de fantasja/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
A soft drink refers to a sweet, non-alcoholic carbonated beverage. While refresco is a common term for this, you may also use the formal term bebida gaseosa.
What does it mean word for word?
The word refresco is derived from the verb refrescar, which means "to refresh".
Which one should you use?
While refresco is a general term for a soft drink, gaseosa specifically emphasizes the carbonation (gas) of the drink.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
refresco is a common term used in both formal and informal contexts, especially in Spain. In contrast, chesco is a colloquial slang shortening of refresco used primarily in Mexico and casera is a colloquial term used in Spain. In Guatemala, people may use the colloquial term agua as a short form of agua gaseosa.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Regional variations include: – gaseosa is the most common term in Argentina. – soda is used in Mexico and Northern Panama, as well as in Puerto Rico and Bolivia. – bebida is used in Chile. – refresco is used in Bolivia, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, Spain and Venezuela. – chesco is a colloquial term in Mexico. – fresco is commonly used in Venezuela. – agua is a colloquial way to say agua gaseosa in Guatemala.
How does it change in a sentence?
The words gaseosa, bebida, soda, agua, casera and bebida de fantasia are feminine, while refresco, chesco and fresco are masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/reˈfɾesko/
Did you know?
- The term bebida de fantasía is used in some regions to describe soft drinks, literally translating to 'fantasy drink' to distinguish processed beverages from natural ones.
- In some Latin American countries, ordering a refresco without specifying a brand often results in being served a traditional, non-carbonated fruit water called agua fresca.
- The word soda is a semantic loan from English, meaning that while the word existed in Spanish earlier, the specific meaning of 'carbonated beverage' was adopted from English usage.
Examples in context
- Al comprar dos pizzas, gratis un refresco.Buy two pizzas and get a free soft drink.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use refresco in a promotional context.Tatoeba #985704 by Shishir, translation #5617945 by tabular
- Este nuevo refresco es lo mejor para beber este verano.This new soft drink is the best thing to drink this summer.This sentence shows how to describe a drink using refresco.Tatoeba #854595 by Shishir, translation #58358 by Eldad
- Una hamburguesa y un refresco cuestan 7,00 R$.A hamburger and a soft drink cost 7.00 R$.This sentence demonstrates how to use refresco when discussing prices.Tatoeba #1065024 by alexmarcelo, translation #12235970 by Miktsoanit
- Quisiera una bebida gaseosa, por favorI would like a soft drink, please.
- Voy a tomar una gaseosaI'm going to have a soft drink.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are ordering food at a fast-food restaurant.
- SofíaHola, quiero una hamburguesa y un refresco.Hello, I want a hamburger and a soft drink.
- MateoClaro, ¿qué refresco prefieres, Sofía?Sure, which soft drink do you prefer, Sofía?
- SofíaPrefiero uno de naranja, por favor.I prefer an orange one, please.
- MateoPerfecto, Mateo también quiere lo mismo.Perfect, Mateo wants the same thing too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “soft drink” translations and entries refresco, gaseosa, bebida, soda, casera, chesco, fresco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bebida, refresco, soda, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
