Portuguese Phrase
O que você quer beber?
Meaning
Literally, ‘What do you want to drink?’ It is the most common way to ask someone what beverage they would like, whether at a restaurant, a home gathering, or a coffee shop.
When to use
Use this phrase when you are offering a drink, taking an order, or simply checking what someone would like to sip. It works in both casual and polite contexts, but you can add a ‘por favor’ for extra courtesy.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Oquevocêquerbeber?
O que
The interrogative phrase 'o que' means 'what' and introduces a direct‑object question.
você
Second‑person singular pronoun. In Brazil it is used for both formal and informal 'you'.
quer
Present‑tense 3rd‑person singular of querer ‘to want’. It agrees with the subject you (você).
beber
Infinitive verb meaning ‘to drink’. In questions it follows the verb querer directly.
🗨In Conversation
O que você quer beber?
What do you want to drink?
Eu gostaria de um suco de laranja, por favor.
I would like an orange juice, please.
✕Common Mistakes
O que você queres beber?
‘Queres’ is the 2nd‑person singular used in Portugal; in Brazil you should use ‘quer’ with ‘você’.
O que você quer tomar?
‘Tomar’ is acceptable, but using it with ‘quer’ can sound odd; better to say ‘O que você gostaria de tomar?’.
O que você quer bebê?
‘Bebê’ means ‘baby’; the correct infinitive is ‘beber’.
↔Alternatives
O que você gostaria de beber?
What would you like to drink?
Qual bebida você quer?
Which drink do you want?
O que você quer tomar?
What do you want to have (to drink)?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, offering a drink is a sign of hospitality. When you ask ‘O que você quer beber?’, it’s polite to follow up with ‘com gelo?’ (with ice?) or ‘com açúcar?’ (with sugar?) especially for coffee or tea. Remember that in many regions ‘tomar’ is used more often than ‘beber’ for casual drinking, while ‘beber’ sounds a bit more formal.