Spanish Phrase
¿Me puedes rellenar el vaso?
Meaning
The speaker is politely asking someone to top‑up or refill the glass they are drinking from. It conveys a request rather than a command, and the use of ‘puedes’ makes it informal but courteous.
When to use
Use this phrase in casual settings such as a restaurant, a friend's home, or a café when you need more of a beverage. It works best when you already have a glass in front of you and want the other person to pour more liquid into it.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Mepuedesrellenarel vaso
Indirect object pronoun (me)
‘Me’ indicates that the action is done for the speaker; it replaces ‘a mí’ and is placed before the conjugated verb.
Poder + infinitive
‘Puedes’ is the 2nd‑person singular present of poder; it is followed by an infinitive (rellenar) to form a polite request.
Rellenar vs. Llenar
‘Rellenar’ means ‘to fill up’ and is often used for liquids in a container; ‘llenar’ is more general.
Definite article + noun
‘El vaso’ specifies a particular glass; the article agrees in gender and number with the noun.
Question marks
Spanish uses an opening (¿) and closing (?) question mark; the verb does not change its order because the sentence already starts with the pronoun.
🗨In Conversation
¿Me puedes rellenar el vaso?
Can you fill up the glass for me?
Claro, aquí tienes.
Sure, here you go.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Me puedes rellenas el vaso?
‘Rellenas’ is the 2nd‑person singular present; after ‘puedes’ you need the infinitive ‘rellenar’.
¿Me puedes rellenar el vaso a mí?
When using an indirect object pronoun, you don’t add ‘a mí’ after it; the pronoun alone is enough.
¿Puedes rellenarme el vaso?
‘Rellenarme’ is grammatically possible but sounds less natural in this context; keep the pronoun before the conjugated verb.
↔Alternatives
¿Podrías rellenar mi vaso?
Could you fill my glass?
¿Me sirves más agua?
Could you serve me more water?
¿Me lo puedes volver a llenar?
Can you fill it up again for me?
Cultural Tip
In many Spanish‑speaking countries it’s common to add ‘por favor’ before or after the request to increase politeness: ‘¿Me puedes rellenar el vaso, por favor?’ Also, while ‘rellenar’ is perfectly correct, native speakers often say ‘llenar’ in informal contexts. Remember that offering to refill someone’s drink is a sign of hospitality, so the request is usually well‑received.