Question 1

Wait, doesn't sapere mean "to know"? Why does it mean "tastes like" here?

Accepted Answer

While you already know sapere as "to know a fact", it has a special sensory meaning when paired with the preposition di. The construction sapere di translates to "to taste of", "to taste like", or "to smell like". Here, sa di cocco tells us the water has a coconut flavor.

Question 2

How do we know it means "tastes like" and not "smells like"?

Accepted Answer

We just have to rely on context. The phrase sapere di covers both taste and smell. Because water is something we drink, "tastes like" is the most logical choice here, but if you were sniffing it, it could absolutely mean "smells like coconut". If you ever need to be strictly specific, you could use phrases like avere il sapore di (to have the taste of) or profumare di (to smell of).

Question 3

Why is it just di cocco and not del cocco?

Accepted Answer

When describing a general flavor, scent, or material, you use the simple preposition di without a definite article. You are saying the water tastes like the general concept or essence of coconut, rather than a specific, physical coconut you might be pointing at.

Question 4

Can I use sapere di with adjectives, like saying the water tastes "good"?

Accepted Answer

No, sapere di must be followed by a noun or a pronoun, like cocco (coconut) or fragola (strawberry). If you want to say something tastes good or bad using an adjective, you drop sapere di and simply use the verb essere, for example: l'acqua è buona.

L'acqua sa di cocco.

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