qué tomar
/ke tomaɾ/from spelling rules
The phrase qué tomar means "what to drink" in Spanish.
This phrase is used to ask for a choice of beverage. In social settings or restaurants, it is typically used as part of a full question such as ¿Qué quiere tomar? or ¿Qué vas a tomar?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of qué (what) and tomar (to drink or to take).
Which one should you use?
While qué beber is also grammatically correct, qué tomar is much more common in everyday spoken Spanish when asking for a beverage choice.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, people may use the phrase ¿Qué te apetece tomar? to ask what you would like to drink.
How do you pronounce it?
/ke tomaɾ/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, tomar is a common euphemism for drinking alcohol. Using it in certain contexts can imply drinking liquor rather than just any beverage.
- While English speakers use 'to drink' specifically for liquids, the Spanish verb tomar is a versatile powerhouse that can also mean 'to take' or 'to eat' in many contexts, such as 'tomar el desayuno' for 'to have breakfast'.
- The Spanish word qué and the British slang term 'quid' for a pound are distant linguistic relatives, both descending from the Latin 'quid'.
Examples in context
- No sé qué tomar.I don't know what to drink.
Example conversation
At a restaurant with a menu.
- LucíaAlejandro, ¿qué vas a tomar?Alejandro, what are you going to drink?
- AlejandroNo estoy seguro de qué tomar.I am not sure what to drink.
- LucíaEl jugo de naranja es bueno.The orange juice is good.
- AlejandroEstá bien, pediré eso.Okay, I will order that.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries qué, tomar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
