Help! This is bugging me... Lesson 1.3 I want something to drink .... Quiero algo para tomar. but the dictionary says beba to drink and tomar to take. And the Rocket Spanish vocabulary #8 says beber to drink. Aiyeee! Thanks for your enlightenment! jackie

think about the following In English we say: " What will you have for dinner" and we mean " What will you eat for dinner " The answer is: " I will have spaghetti " And we mean " I will eat spaghetti " Next I have a headache, and my wife says: " Take an aspirine " So, I take an aspirine out of the tube and I am standing with that aspirine in my hand for one hour . My headache is still there. :-) What my wife wanted to say is. swallow an asperine It's the same in Spanish

Then is it just as correct to say 'Quiero algo para beber?' For a beginner (like me) it seems less confusing. Is saying para tomar much more common?

You can say that, but people will look at you a little funny. They prefer to hear para tomar. Para beber sounds too stiff (or formal) for most ears.

Esto es muy interesante. Es "algo para tomar" utilizado egualmente en sud america y espana, o es "algo para beber" mas utilizado en espana? Gracias.

"algo para tomar" for must of south america... (so says my Peruivan wife ;)...

Thanks, I was confused about the exact thing!

Have been confused by this also. Thanks

was gucci

Hola a todos! I answer a similar question months ago! maybe this will help you a bit...and for the record, at least in México i have noticed that we use "tomar!" more than "beber" but , we do use both and both are correct....and yes!! tomar means "to take" :) http://members.rocketlanguages.com/your-community/spanish-vocab/i-need-a-drink saludos desde México!

Thanks Cristian! A little light finally went off in my head on this one. Last night at dinner the waitress asked "What can I bring you to drink?" My novia said 'iced tea please', and I said 'Ill take a Coke'. This morning at breakfast same thing - 'I'll take a cup of coffee please'. I couldn't figure how "to drink" and "to take" could be related, but now I realize I do it in English all the time! whew - got that one out of the way. Now I have to work on sacar, tomer, conseguir, recibir and all those other verbs which mean "to take" or "to get"...

Hi JC chamb! Im glad that my answer was of some help! keep the good work! ;) Saludos desde México hermanos!

Thanks, this helped a lot!!! :D

Im glad the info helped a lot!!!! take care my brothers!