Beber

Beber is the infinitive verb meaning "to drink" in both Spanish and Portuguese. It denotes the act of swallowing liquids, including water, juice, and beverages such as coffee or wine. In everyday usage, bebed is employed with direct objects: beber agua, beber café, beber vinho (Portuguese) or beber cerveza (Spanish). Beyond its literal sense, the verb can be used figuratively to indicate absorbing or taking in something, such as information or experiences, in a context where the language supports such metaphor.

Etymology and cognates: Beber derives from the Latin bibere, the classical root of similar verbs in Romance languages. It is closely related to the Spanish beber and the Portuguese beber, both descendants of Latin bibere. The root also yields related forms in other languages (for example, French boire, Italian bere), demonstrating a common Latin heritage.

Conjugation and usage: In Spanish, beber is a regular -er verb with present tense forms such as bebo, bebes, bebe, bebemos, bebéis, beben. In Portuguese, it is also treated as a regular -er verb; common present forms include eu bebo, você bebe, nós bebemos, vocês bebem. The verb appears in all typical tenses, with the past and future forms aligning with standard -er verb patterns in each language. Beber is primarily used to express the act of drinking liquids; other acts related to consumption are described with different verbs or constructions.

Cultural notes: Beber covers a wide range of beverages, from water and juice to alcoholic drinks. It is a everyday verb found in domestic and social contexts, as well as in literature and media. The term is taught early in language learning as a fundamental action related to sustenance and routine.