Italian Phrase
Prendo un bicchiere d'acqua.
Meaning
Literally ‘I take a glass of water.’ It’s the most common way to say you’d like a glass of water, especially when ordering in a café or restaurant.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are at a restaurant, bar, café, or even at home and you want to request a glass of water. It works both in casual conversation and in polite requests (add ‘per favore’ for extra courtesy).
✦Grammar Breakdown
Prendounbicchiered'acqua.
Prendo (present indicative)
‘Prendo’ is the first‑person singular present indicative of the verb ‘prendere’ (to take, to have).
Indefinite article ‘un’
Used before masculine singular nouns; it means ‘a’ or ‘one’.
Noun gender – bicchiere
‘Bicchiere’ is a masculine noun, so it takes ‘un’ and the adjective ‘un bicchiere’.
Contraction ‘d’ = di + vowel
‘di’ (of) contracts to ‘d’ before a vowel, giving ‘d’acqua’ (of water).
Acqua (feminine noun)
Even though ‘acqua’ is feminine, the article is omitted after ‘di’; the phrase means ‘a glass of water’.
🗨In Conversation
Cosa vuoi da bere?
What would you like to drink?
Prendo un bicchiere d'acqua.
I’ll have a glass of water.
✕Common Mistakes
Prendo una bicchiere d'acqua.
‘Bicchiere’ is masculine, so the article must be ‘un’, not ‘una’.
Prendo un bicchiere di acqua.
Before a vowel, ‘di’ contracts to ‘d’ – native speakers say ‘d’acqua’. ‘di acqua’ is grammatically possible but sounds less natural.
Prendere un bicchiere d'acqua.
Using the infinitive ‘prendere’ instead of the conjugated form ‘prendo’ makes the sentence ungrammatical.
↔Alternatives
Vorrei un bicchiere d'acqua.
I would like a glass of water.
Mi dia un bicchiere d'acqua, per favore.
Please give me a glass of water.
Posso avere un bicchiere d'acqua?
Can I have a glass of water?
Cultural Tip
In Italy water is usually offered as ‘acqua naturale’ (still) or ‘acqua frizzante’ (sparkling). When you say ‘un bicchiere d’acqua’, the waiter will often ask which you prefer. Adding ‘per favore’ makes the request sound more polite, especially in formal settings.