Language/Galician/Vocabulary/Drinks

Galician Vocabulary - Drinks

Hi Galician learners! 😊
In this lesson, you will learn the vocabulary related to drinks. We will cover beverages that are popular in Galicia, as well as some cultural information, and interesting facts about them. By the end of the lesson, you will be able to order drinks in Galician, and impress your Galician friends with your knowledge. Ready? Let's start!

Once you've mastered this lesson, take a look at these related pages: Animals, Numbers, Clothes & Colors.

Popular Drinks in Galicia

Before we dive into the vocabulary, let's see what are the most popular drinks in Galicia. Galicia is known for many things - its mountains and beaches, its cuisine and its music - but above all, it is known for its wines and its liqueurs. Albariño and Ribeiro are the most famous white wines, while Mencía and Brencellao are the most famous reds. Galician wines are often described as full-bodied, fruity and aromatic, with a slightly acidic taste.

Galicia is also famous for its delicious liqueurs. One of the most popular is orujo, which is made from pomace, the leftover grape skins, seeds, and stems from wine production. Orujo is often served after meals as a digestif. Licor café, made with coffee and orujo, is another Galician specialty, which is often enjoyed as a winter drink. Other popular liqueurs include crema de orujo, queimada, and Augardente.

Vocabulary

Here are some of the most common drinks in Galicia, with their translations in English, and their corresponding pronunciations:

Galician	Pronunciation	English
Agua	[a'ɣwa]	Water
Café	['ka.fe]	Coffee
Chocolate	[tʃo.ko'la.te]	Hot Chocolate
Té	['te]	Tea
Zumo	['θu.mo]	Juice
Cerveza	[θeɾ'βe.θa]	Beer
Vinho	['bi.ɲo]	Wine
Caña	['ka.ɲa]	Small beer
Refresco	[ɾef'ɾes.ko]	Soft Drink
Licores	[li'koɾes]	Liqueurs
Gaseosa	[ɣa.se'o.sa]	Soda

It is important to note that in Galicia, as in the rest of Spain, water comes in two variations: mineral water (agua mineral) and tap water (agua del grifo). If you prefer tap water, you can ask for a jarra de agua, which is a pitcher of water that is usually served for free.

Now, let's see some common phrases that you can use when ordering drinks in Galician:

• Quería un/a (drink) por favor. (I would like a (drink) please.)
• ¿Me pones un/a (drink)? (Can you give me a (drink)?)
• Un agua del grifo/una gaseosa/una cerveza, por favor. (A tap water/a soda/ a beer, please.)
• ¿Tienes algún licor típico de Galicia? (Do you have any typical Galician liqueurs?)

Dialogue

To see the vocabulary in context, here is a dialogue between two friends who are ordering drinks in a bar:

• Person 1: Quería un vaso de agua con hielo, por favor. (I would like a glass of water with ice, please.)
• Person 2: Claro, enseguida te lo traigo. (Sure, I'll bring it to you right away.)
• Person 1: ¿Y tú qué vas a pedir? (What are you going to order?)
• Person 2: Yo voy a probar un albariño, dicen que es el mejor vino blanco de Galicia. (I'm going to try an albariño, they say it's the best white wine in Galicia.)
• Person 1: Suena bien, yo también quiero probarlo. (Sounds good, I want to try it too.)

Cultural Facts

- Albariño is the most important Galician wine, and it is known for its aromatic and fruity taste. It is usually paired with seafood, which is abundant in Galicia. - Ribeiro is another famous white wine from Galicia, which is known for its freshness and balance. It is usually paired with fish and white meat. - Mencía is a red wine that is grown in the Ribeira Sacra area. It is known for its deep color and spicy taste. - Queimada is a Galician alcoholic beverage that is served in a clay pot. It is made with Galician augardente, sugar, and coffee beans. Before serving, the mix is ignited and stirred until it turns into a blue flame. - In Galicia, it is common to order wine by the jarra, which is a pitcher that usually contains around 1 liter of wine.

Practice

Now it's your turn to practice! Go to a bar or a restaurant and try ordering drinks in Galician. If you can, ask the waiter or the bartender for some recommendations.

To improve your Galician Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

Sources

• Food and Drinks in Galician | Pinhok Languages
• Galician Culture Lesson in eight words
• English-Galician Vocabulary Quizzes

Other Lessons

• Camping
• Count to 10
• Verbs in Galician
• Essencial phrases in Galician
• Seasons
• Dinner Table
• Autumn
• Time
• How to Say Hello and Greetings
• Family