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refresco

re-FRES-ko/reˈfɾesko/

soft drink, soda

Also: refreshment, pop
NounmA1
MexicoSpain
A tall glass filled with a bubbly dark soda, ice cubes, and a colorful straw.

📝 In Action

¿Quieres un refresco de naranja?

A1

Do you want an orange soda?

No bebo refrescos porque tienen mucha azúcar.

A2

I don't drink soft drinks because they have a lot of sugar.

Sirvieron unos refrescos durante el intermedio.

B1

They served some refreshments during the intermission.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • gaseosa (soda/fizzy drink)
  • bebida (drink)

Common Collocations

  • refresco de cola – cola drink
  • refresco de dieta – diet soda
  • tomar un refresco – to have a soft drink

I refresh, I cool down

Also: I update
VerbB1regular ar
A person splashing cool, clean water onto their face from a basin.
gerundrefrescando
past Participlerefrescado
infinitiverefrescar

📝 In Action

Me refresco la cara con agua fría.

B1

I refresh my face with cold water.

Cada cinco minutos refresco la página para ver los resultados.

B1

Every five minutes I refresh the page to see the results.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • enfriar (to cool down)
  • renovar (to renew/refresh)

Antonyms

  • calentar (to heat up)

Common Collocations

  • refrescar la memoria – to jog/refresh one's memory

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesrefrescaran
yorefrescara
túrefrescaras
vosotrosrefrescarais
nosotrosrefrescáramos
él/ella/ustedrefrescara

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesrefresquen
yorefresque
túrefresques
vosotrosrefresquéis
nosotrosrefresquemos
él/ella/ustedrefresque

indicative

preterite

ellos/ellas/ustedesrefrescaron
yorefresqué
túrefrescaste
vosotrosrefrescasteis
nosotrosrefrescamos
él/ella/ustedrefrescó

imperfect

ellos/ellas/ustedesrefrescaban
yorefrescaba
túrefrescabas
vosotrosrefrescabais
nosotrosrefrescábamos
él/ella/ustedrefrescaba

present

ellos/ellas/ustedesrefrescan
yorefresco
túrefrescas
vosotrosrefrescáis
nosotrosrefrescamos
él/ella/ustedrefresca
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "refresco" in Spanish:

i refresh→i update→pop→refreshment→soda→soft drink→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: refresco

Question 1 of 2

If you are at a party and someone offers you 'un refresco', what are they most likely giving you?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
fresco(fresh/cool) — Adjective
refrescar(to refresh) — Verb
frescura(freshness) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
parentescogigantesco
📚 Etymology▼

From the verb 'refrescar', which comes from the combination of 're-' (again) and 'fresco' (fresh/cold). It originally referred to the act of cooling something down.

First recorded: 16th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: refreshFrench: rafraîchir

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does 'refresco' include beer or wine?

No, 'refresco' specifically refers to non-alcoholic drinks. For alcoholic drinks, you would use 'bebida alcohólica' or the specific name of the drink.

Is 'soda' used in Spanish?

Yes, but it's less common than 'refresco'. 'Soda' is often used to refer specifically to plain carbonated water (club soda).