Italian · Everyday Verbs
"to drink" in Italian: bere
bere
To drink in Italian is bere (BEH-reh). Present forms include bevo, bevi, beve, beviamo, bevete, bevono. At a bar, cosa bevi? means what are you drinking?
At the bar
Cosa vuoi bere? Io prendo un'acqua tonica.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce bere
Say it
BEH-reh
/ˈbe.re/
Bere is BEH-reh with stress on BEH. Bevo is BEH-voh. Beviamo is beh-VYAH-moh. The verb is short and irregular.
"to drink" in Italian: quick reference
| Italian | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| bere | to drink Infinitive for any drink. | Infinitive for any drink. |
| bevo / bevi / beve | I drink / you drink / he-she drinks Singular present forms. | Singular present forms. |
| beviamo | we drink; let's drink Also a toast-like suggestion among friends. | Also a toast-like suggestion among friends. |
| bere qualcosa | to have something to drink Andiamo a bere qualcosa = let's go for a drink. | Andiamo a bere qualcosa = let's go for a drink. |
How to use bere in real life
- 1At the bar
Cosa vuoi bere? Io prendo un'acqua tonica.
What do you want to drink? I'll have a tonic water.
Vuoi bere keeps the infinitive after a modal-like verb.
- 2Cheers among friends
Andiamo a bere alla tua promozione!
Let's go drink to your promotion!
A bere uses the infinitive after a motion verb.
- 3Health habit
Dovresti bere più acqua ogni giorno.
You should drink more water every day.
The infinitive bere after dovresti.
Mistakes English speakers make with bere
Incorrect: Io bere caffè.
Correct: Bevo caffè.
Conjugate: io bevo.
Incorrect: Bevo un bere.
Correct: Prendo qualcosa da bere. / Bevo qualcosa.
Bere is the verb. For a drink as a noun, say qualcosa da bere or una bevanda.
Good to know
Andiamo a bere qualcosa often means a social drink, not only water. At meals, Italians may say beviamo for wine without making a big toast speech. Still water and wine sit beside food more than giant soft drinks.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing drinks before dinner
ChatPal
Beviamo qualcosa prima di ordinare?
Shall we drink something before we order?
You
Sì. Io bevo un spritz, e tu?
Yes. I'll drink a spritz, and you?
ChatPal
Bevo un vino bianco. Poi dobbiamo anche bere acqua.
I'll drink white wine. Then we should also drink water.
You
D'accordo. Bere piano stasera è meglio!
Agreed. Drinking slowly tonight is better!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to drink" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to drink" in Italian
Is bere regular?
No. Learn bevo, bevi, beve, beviamo, bevete, bevono as a set.
How do I say what do you want to drink?
Cosa vuoi bere? with tu, or Cosa desidera da bere? in formal service talk.
What is qualcosa da bere?
Something to drink. Useful when you do not name the drink yet.
Does beviamo mean cheers?
It can work as let's drink. For cheers, cin cin is the classic toast.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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