Portuguese Phrase
Água sem gás ou com gás?
Meaning
A quick way to ask someone whether they prefer still water (água sem gás) or sparkling water (água com gás). It’s a common courtesy question in restaurants, cafés, and homes when offering a drink.
When to use
Use this question when you are serving or ordering drinks, especially in a restaurant setting, at a café, or when a host is offering water to guests.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Águasemgásoucomgás?
Água (noun)
Feminine noun meaning 'water'; takes the article 'a' (a água) but in questions the article is often omitted.
sem (preposition)
Means 'without' and is followed directly by a noun without an article.
gás (noun)
Masculine noun meaning 'gas' or 'carbonation' when referring to sparkling water.
ou (conjunction)
The coordinating conjunction for 'or' used to present two alternatives.
com (preposition)
Means 'with' and, like 'sem', is used directly before a noun without an article.
🗨In Conversation
Água sem gás ou com gás?
Still water or sparkling water?
Com gás, por favor.
Sparkling, please.
✕Common Mistakes
Água sem gás e com gás?
Use 'ou' (or) for alternatives, not 'e' (and).
Água sem o gás ou com o gás?
Do not use the article 'o' after 'sem' or 'com' when talking about water.
Agua sem gás ou com gás?
Remember the accent on 'água'; missing it changes pronunciation and looks incorrect.
↔Alternatives
Água sem gás ou com gás?
Still water or sparkling water?
Água sem gás ou com gás?
Do you want still or sparkling water?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, it’s customary for waitstaff to ask this question even if the menu only lists ‘água’. Most households keep both still and sparkling water on hand, and many people have a strong preference. In Portugal, sparkling water (água com gás) is more common, so you’ll often hear the question phrased as ‘Água com gás ou sem gás?’