quieres agua
/kjeɾes aɡwa/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "you want water" is translated as quieres agua.
This phrase is used as a question to ask if someone would like to drink some water.
Which one should you use?
The words used for the statement "you want water" and the question "do you want water?" are identical in Spanish. The question is distinguished only by using question marks in writing and changing your intonation when speaking.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, you can use the expression ¿Me pones agua, por favor? to mean "Can you pour me water, please?" In Mexico, people often say ¿Me trae agua, por favor? which means "Could you bring me water, please?"
How does it change in a sentence?
Use quiere agua when addressing someone formally to follow the correct conjugation for usted.
How do you pronounce it?
/kjeɾes aɡwa/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word agua is actually feminine, but it uses the masculine article el in phrases like el agua to avoid a clashing 'a' sound.
- The verb querer in quieres agua is a linguistic shapeshifter that can mean 'to love' or 'to want' depending entirely on the context.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿Quieres agua? is a gesture of hospitality rather than a literal question about thirst.
Examples in context
- ¿Quieres agua?Do you want water?Tatoeba #12291005 by Serrot, translation #13225760 by araneo
- ¿Quieres agua con hielo?Do you want water with ice?
- Si quieres agua, dímelo.If you want water, tell me.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are sitting in the living room.
- Elena¿Quieres agua, Daniel?Do you want water, Daniel?
- DanielSí, por favor, Elena.Yes, please, Elena.
- ElenaTe traigo un vaso.I will bring you a glass.
- DanielMuchas gracias.Thank you very much.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
