Learn Spanish (Spain): ¿Qué vas a tomar? - What are you going to have?

While tomar literally means 'to take', it is the most common verb used in Spain when talking about consuming food or drinks. So, when a waiter asks what you want, they use tomar, which translates most naturally to 'to have' or 'to drink' in English.

Why do we need the word a in the middle of vas a tomar?

To say you are 'going to' do something in Spanish, you use a specific formula: a form of the verb ir (to go) + the word a + an infinitive (a basic, unchanged verb, like tomar). You cannot skip the a! It acts as the necessary bridge connecting 'going' and the action you are about to do.

How do we know who this question is asking if there is no word for 'you'?

The verb tells us! Vas is specifically the informal 'you' (tú) form of the verb ir (to go). Because Spanish verbs change their endings depending on who is doing the action, it is perfectly normal to drop the subject pronoun (tú) completely.

Why does Qué have an accent mark over the 'e'?

Question words in Spanish always get a written accent mark. This helps tell them apart from words that are spelled the same but used differently in a sentence. For example, qué with an accent means 'what', while que without an accent usually means 'that'.