Italian Phrase
Andare a bere qualcosa con gli amici.
Meaning
The phrase means ‘to go have something to drink with friends.’ It conveys a casual intention to meet friends for a drink, whether it’s coffee, a soft drink, or an alcoholic aperitivo.
When to use
Use this expression when you’re planning a relaxed outing with friends, after work, on the weekend, or whenever you want to suggest meeting up for a quick drink.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Andareaberequalcosacongliamici
Andare + a + infinitive
The construction ‘andare a + infinitive’ expresses purpose, similar to ‘to go and…’ in English.
Bere (infinitive)
‘Bere’ is the infinitive of ‘to drink’; it follows the ‘a’ after ‘andare’.
Qualcosa
Indefinite pronoun meaning ‘something’; used here to refer to any drink.
Con gli amici
Prepositional phrase meaning ‘with friends’; ‘gli’ is the masculine plural article used before nouns that start with a vowel or ‘s+consonant’.
🗨In Conversation
Che ne dici di andare a bere qualcosa con gli amici stasera?
How about we go have a drink with friends tonight?
Mi sembra un’ottima idea! Ci vediamo al bar alle otto.
Sounds like a great idea! Let’s meet at the bar at eight.
✕Common Mistakes
andare bere qualcosa con gli amici
Missing the preposition ‘a’ after ‘andare’; the correct construction is ‘andare a + infinitive’.
andare a bere qualcosa con gli amico
‘Gli’ is the plural article; the singular should be ‘l’amico’ or ‘un amico’.
andare a qualcosa di bere con gli amici
In this construction you need the infinitive ‘bere’, not the noun phrase ‘di bere’.
↔Alternatives
Uscire a bere qualcosa con gli amici.
To go out and have a drink with friends.
Andare a prendere qualcosa da bere con gli amici.
To go get something to drink with friends.
Fare un aperitivo con gli amici.
To have an aperitif with friends.
Cultural Tip
In Italy, ‘bere qualcosa’ often implies an aperitivo – a light drink accompanied by small snacks, usually enjoyed in the early evening. Meeting friends at a bar for an aperitivo is a common social ritual, and the phrase is perfectly informal. Use it with friends or peers; with strangers or in a formal setting you’d opt for a more polite formulation like ‘prendere qualcosa da bere’.