A simple illustration showing a joyful child drinking liquid from a brightly colored blue cup.

bebo

beh-boh

verbA1regular er

I drink?present action or habit

Also:I am drinking?present continuous action (less common than 'estoy bebiendo')

Quick Reference

infinitivebeber

gerundbebiendo

past Participlebebido

📝 In Action

Siempre bebo agua después de correr.

I always drink water after running.

¿Qué bebo? Un vaso de leche, por favor.

What am I drinking? A glass of milk, please.

Si bebo café muy tarde, no puedo dormir.

If I drink coffee too late, I can't sleep.

Word Connections

Synonyms

tomar (to take/to drink (common substitute))
ingerir (to ingest (more formal))

Common Collocations

bebo demasiado – I drink too much
bebo lentamente – I drink slowly

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Yo' Form

In Spanish, the 'yo' (I) form of regular '-er' verbs always ends in '-o' in the present tense. Think: 'beber' minus 'er' plus 'o' = 'bebo'.

Regular Verb Pattern

Since 'beber' is a regular verb, it follows the standard pattern for all verbs ending in '-er.' Once you learn 'bebo,' you know the pattern for hundreds of other verbs!

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing up Tenses

Mistake: "Ayer bebo mucha agua. (Yesterday I drink a lot of water.)"

Correction: Ayer bebí mucha agua. ('Bebo' is only for the present; use 'bebí' for the past.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Omit the Pronoun

Because 'bebo' clearly means 'I drink,' you usually don't need to say 'Yo bebo.' Just saying 'Bebo café' is more natural.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedbebe

yobebo

túbebes

ellos/ellas/ustedesbeben

nosotrosbebemos

vosotrosbebéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedbebía

yobebía

túbebías

ellos/ellas/ustedesbebían

nosotrosbebíamos

vosotrosbebíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedbebió

yobebí

túbebiste

ellos/ellas/ustedesbebieron

nosotrosbebimos

vosotrosbebisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedbeba

yobeba

túbebas

ellos/ellas/ustedesbeban

nosotrosbebamos

vosotrosbebáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedbebiera/bebiese

yobebiera/bebiese

túbebieras/bebieses

ellos/ellas/ustedesbebieran/bebiesen

nosotrosbebiéramos/bebiésemos

vosotrosbebierais/bebieseis

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: bebo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'bebo' for an action that happened yesterday?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

beber(to drink (infinitive)) - verb

bebida(drink, beverage) - noun

bebedor(drinker (noun/adjective)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'bebo' used for all kinds of liquids?

Yes, 'bebo' (from 'beber') is the standard verb for drinking any kind of liquid, including water, coffee, juice, or alcohol.

Should I use 'bebo' or 'estoy bebiendo'?

'Bebo' is used for habits ('I drink coffee every day') or general statements. 'Estoy bebiendo' (I am drinking) is used for an action happening right this moment, though 'bebo' is often used even for immediate actions in informal speech.