Quiero beber el agua.

I want to drink the water.

Breakdown of Quiero beber el agua.

• yo: I
• querer: to want
• el agua: the water
• beber: to drink

Questions & Answers about Quiero beber el agua.

Why is el agua used instead of la agua if agua is feminine?

Agua is a feminine noun, but because it starts with a stressed a sound, Spanish uses the masculine article el to avoid having two vowels run together (la agua → l-aagua). Despite the article el, the noun agua remains feminine, and adjectives referring to agua would still use feminine forms.

Can I just say Quiero beber agua without the article el?

Absolutely! Saying Quiero beber agua is perfectly common and natural. Using the article el can add a bit of emphasis, as if referring to a particular supply of water, but both forms are correct in everyday Spanish.

Does the verb beber only refer to water, or can I use it with other drinks too?

You can use beber with any drink. For example, Quiero beber vino, Quiero beber café, etc. It's a general verb meaning to drink.

Are there any differences between using Quiero beber agua and Quiero tomar agua in Spain Spanish?

While beber specifically means to drink, tomar has a broader meaning: to take or to consume. In Spain, beber sounds slightly more direct about the act of drinking, while tomar is more general. Both are acceptable, and people often use them interchangeably for having a drink.

Do I need to change the verb quiero if I’m talking about someone else who wants to drink water?

Yes, you’d need to conjugate the verb querer accordingly. For example, él quiere beber agua (he wants to drink water), nosotros queremos beber agua (we want to drink water), etc. The sentence structure is the same; only the verb form (quiero, quieres, quiere, etc.) changes.