beber
/beˈbeɾ/
The English phrase 'to drink' is translated into Spanish as beber.
beber is the literal verb for the act of drinking. In many contexts, stating that someone bebe mucho can imply that they are a heavy drinker of alcohol. There is also a specific idiom, beber los vientos por alguien, which means 'to be head over heels for someone'.
Which one should you use?
While beber is the literal verb for drinking, the verb tomar is much more frequently used in many Spanish-speaking regions to mean 'to drink', such as in the phrases tomar agua or tomar una cerveza.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Spain, particularly Andalusia, the colloquial verb pimplar is sometimes used to mean 'to drink'. In some Latin American countries, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, chupar is colloquially used to mean 'to drink alcohol'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular future tense of beber is beberé (I will drink), and the third-person singular preterite or past tense is bebió (he/she/it drank).
How do you pronounce it?
/beˈbeɾ/
Did you know?
- The word beber is a sibling to the English word 'beverage'. Both descend from the Latin bibere, which describes the act of drinking.
- The colloquial term chupar, which literally means 'to suck', is used in the Southern Cone to describe drinking alcohol in a way similar to 'boozing'.
- The spelling of beber shifted over time from the Old Spanish bever back to a form closer to the original Latin bibere.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué vas a beber?What are you going to drink?Tatoeba #2270690 by Shishir, translation #2259864 by _undertoad
- Él no solía beber.He didn't use to drink.Tatoeba #507162 by Shishir, translation #293524 by CK
- Le gusta beber café.He likes to drink coffee.Tatoeba #10238765 by Shishir, translation #10248618 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Debo beber agua después de hacer ejercicio.I should drink water after exercising.
- Es importante consumir líquidos durante el día.It's important to consume liquids throughout the day.
- Vamos a tomar un café juntos.Let's go grab a coffee together.
- 160 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are at a restaurant.
- MaríaDaniel, ¿qué quieres beber hoy?Daniel, what do you want to drink today?
- DanielQuiero beber un vaso de agua.I want to drink a glass of water.
- MaríaYo voy a beber un zumo.I am going to drink a juice.
- DanielPerfecto, pidamos las bebidas.Perfect, let's order the drinks.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry beber, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries beber, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
