Portuguese · Everyday Verbs
"to drink" in Portuguese: beber
beber
To drink in Portuguese is beber. Present forms include eu bebo and você bebe. For water and coffee Brazilians also say tomar: tomar água, tomar café, next to beber água.
Healthy habit
Eu bebo dois litros de água por dia.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce beber
Say it
beh-BEHR
/be.ˈbeʁ/
beh-BEHR. Eu bebo is BEH-boo; você bebe is BEH-bee.
"to drink" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| beber | to drink General verb for drinking. | General verb for drinking. |
| eu bebo | I drink First-person present. | First-person present. |
| você bebe | you drink Default Brazilian you form. | Default Brazilian you form. |
| tomar | to take / to drink Very common with café, água, remédio. | Very common with café, água, remédio. |
| bebida | drink (noun) O que você quer de bebida? | O que você quer de bebida? |
How to use beber in real life
- 1Healthy habit
Eu bebo dois litros de água por dia.
I drink two liters of water a day.
Bebo is the eu form of beber.
- 2At a bar
Você bebe vinho ou prefere suco?
Do you drink wine or prefer juice?
Você bebe asks about preference or habit.
- 3Offering water
Quer beber água antes de correr?
Want to drink water before running?
Beber água is clear and literal.
Mistakes English speakers make with beber
Incorrect: Eu beber café todo dia.
Correct: Eu bebo café todo dia. / Eu tomo café todo dia.
Conjugate beber, or use tomar café.
Incorrect: Eu drink água.
Correct: Eu bebo água. / Eu tomo água.
Keep the verb in Portuguese.
Good to know
Tomar and beber overlap. Brazilians often tomar café and tomar suco, while beber is clear for alcohol or water habits. Either works for água in many regions.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Ordering drinks after a museum visit
ChatPal
Está calor. Você quer beber alguma coisa?
It's hot. Do you want to drink something?
You
Quero. Eu bebo água com gás agora.
Yes. I'll drink sparkling water now.
ChatPal
Eu também vou beber água. Depois a gente vê um café.
I'll drink water too. Later we can look at a coffee.
You
Combinado. Beber água primeiro foi boa ideia.
Deal. Drinking water first was a good idea.
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 Portuguese
What is the difference between beber and tomar?
Both can mean drink. Tomar is especially common with café, chá, and remédios; beber is the clear general verb.
How do I conjugate beber in the present?
Eu bebo, você/ele bebe, nós bebemos, vocês/eles bebem.
How do I say What would you like to drink?
O que você quer beber? or O que você vai querer de bebida?
Does beber always mean alcohol?
No. Context decides. Beber água is ordinary.
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
