“Lo bebí” is the plain way to say you drank it; “me lo bebí” adds “I finished it.”
You hear “I drank it” all the time in English. In Spanish, you’ll say the same idea, yet the best wording shifts with what “it” is, how formal you want to sound, and whether you mean “I had some” or “I finished the whole thing.”
This piece gives you the go-to phrases, shows how Spanish places pronouns, and helps you choose between beber and tomar without that “wait, did I say it wrong?” feeling.
I Drank It In Spanish With The Verb Beber
If you want the clean, direct translation, start here:
- Lo bebí. = I drank it.
Lo is “it” (a direct object). Bebí is “I drank” in the simple past (pretérito). You can see the verb listed as beber in the RAE dictionary, along with the past form bebí for “yo.” RAE entry for “beber”
Use lo bebí when the drink is the point of the sentence, or when you’re answering a question and keeping it short:
- —¿Te tomaste el jugo? —Sí, lo bebí.
- Lo bebí sin hielo.
When “Me Lo Bebí” Fits Better
Spanish often adds a small “extra” pronoun that doesn’t change the object, yet changes the feel. When you hear:
- Me lo bebí.
…it often carries a “I drank it up” or “I finished it” vibe. It can sound more complete, more personal, and more story-like than lo bebí.
Common uses:
- You finished a whole glass, bottle, or can: me lo bebí de un trago.
- You want the completion to land: me lo bebí todo.
- You’re telling a short moment: Pedí agua y me la bebí rápido.
Pick “Lo” Or “La” For “It”
Spanish “it” changes with grammatical gender:
- Lo for masculine nouns: el café → lo bebí.
- La for feminine nouns: la cerveza → la bebí.
If you want a clear refresher on when to use lo, la, and le, the RAE has a straight-to-the-point rule page on object pronouns and common mix-ups. RAE notes on “lo/la/le” usage
What Spanish Speakers Say In Real Life
Textbook translations work, yet daily Spanish often chooses verbs by situation. In casual talk, many speakers reach for:
- Me lo tomé.
- Me tomé el café.
Tomar is a broad verb that can mean “to drink” and “to eat” based on context. It’s common in bars, cafés, and family tables. The Centro Virtual Cervantes has a long-running thread that explains how tomar works as a general “consume” verb in Spanish usage. CVC note on “comer, tomar, beber”
So, if you’re chatting with friends, me lo tomé can sound more natural than lo bebí, even though both are correct.
Beber Vs. Tomar In One Line
Beber points straight at drinking, usually liquids and alcohol. Tomar is wider and can cover a drink, a snack, or a dose of medicine, based on what comes next in the sentence.
Three Ways To Land The Right Tone
- Use bebí when you want “drink” and nothing else.
- Use me lo bebí when you mean “finished it.”
- Use me lo tomé in casual talk when the drink is already clear from context.
Past Tense Choices That Shift The Picture
English “I drank it” doesn’t show whether it was a one-time act, a habit, or something that happened before another event. Spanish can show that, and your tense choice shapes what listeners picture.
Pretérito For A Completed Action
Lo bebí / me lo bebí sits in the pretérito. It frames the act as done. Think: the drink was there, then it wasn’t.
Imperfecto For Background Or Habit
If you mean “I used to drink it” or “I was drinking it” (not finished yet), Spanish often moves to imperfecto:
- Lo bebía cuando era niño.
- Me lo bebía despacio mientras hablábamos.
Perfecto Compuesto For “I Have Drunk It”
In much of Spain, you’ll hear lo he bebido for “I’ve drunk it” in a time frame that still feels like “today.” In many parts of Latin America, speakers use pretérito more often in the same moments. Both patterns are normal; match the region you’re in.
Want a quick check on the yo form bebí and how it sits in the conjugation table? The RAE dictionary entry lists it under the verb’s paradigm. Conjugation lines for “bebí”
Table Of Useful Phrases For “I Drank It”
These patterns cover most real situations: plain past, “finished it,” habit, and common casual wording.
| Spanish Phrase | What It Signals | Natural Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Lo bebí | Simple, completed drink | Short answers, clear “drink” meaning |
| La bebí | Same, feminine “it” | Refers back to a feminine noun (la cerveza) |
| Me lo bebí | Completion, “drank it up” feel | Finished the whole serving |
| Me la bebí | Completion with feminine “it” | Finished the whole serving (la limonada) |
| Me lo tomé | Casual, everyday phrasing | Café, refresco, agua in relaxed chat |
| Me la tomé | Casual with feminine “it” | Refers back to la cerveza, la soda |
| Lo bebía | Habit or background action | Talking about routines or ongoing past |
| Lo he bebido | Past tied to a current time window | Common in Spain for “already had it” today |
Pronoun Placement That Trips People Up
Once you add “it,” Spanish asks you to place the pronoun in the spot that sounds right. The simple rule is:
- With a single conjugated verb, the pronoun goes before it: lo bebí.
- With an infinitive, you can attach it: voy a beberlo.
- With a gerund, you can attach it: estoy bebiéndolo.
Two Pronouns Together
When you say me lo bebí, you’re stacking two small words:
- me (a “to myself / for myself” feel)
- lo (the thing you drank)
That stack is normal Spanish rhythm. Learners often translate word by word and end up with English-like order. Stick to the Spanish pattern and it starts to feel smooth fast.
“Le” Is Not “It” In Most Cases
Sometimes learners say le bebí thinking le means “it.” In standard usage, le marks an indirect object, not the direct object of “drink.” The RAE rule page on pronouns spells this out with the logic of direct vs. indirect object. RAE guidance on leísmo and object roles
If you’re writing for school, work, or publication, this distinction keeps your Spanish clean across countries. In speech, you may hear local patterns, yet the standard form stays a safe bet for broad audiences.
Table Of Common Pronoun Patterns
Use this as a fast check while you write texts, captions, or class exercises.
| Pattern | Example | When It Sounds Right |
|---|---|---|
| Pronoun + verb | Lo bebí | One conjugated verb |
| Pronoun stack + verb | Me lo bebí | “Finished it” or personal emphasis |
| Infinitive + pronoun | Voy a beberlo | “Going to” phrasing |
| Gerund + pronoun | Estoy bebiéndolo | Action in progress |
| Noun instead of pronoun | Me bebí el café | When clarity beats “it” |
| Feminine object | Me la bebí | Refers back to a feminine noun |
Mini Scripts You Can Reuse Today
Single phrases help, yet short scripts help more because they carry rhythm. Try these and swap the drink noun as needed.
At A Café
- Pedí un café y me lo tomé aquí.
- Lo pedí sin azúcar y me lo bebí rápido.
- ¿Ese té? Sí, lo bebí.
At Home
- Dejé el jugo en la mesa, pero luego me lo bebí.
- No tires la leche; me la tomo después.
- Ese vaso era mío; me lo bebí yo.
Talking About Alcohol
Spanish often uses beber for alcohol in a neutral way:
- Anoche bebí vino.
- No, ese trago no me lo bebí.
Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes
Saying “Bebé” By Accident
Bebí is “I drank.” Bebé is “baby.” One accent mark changes the meaning. If you’re typing on a phone, press and hold the vowel and pick “í.”
Using “Beber” For Food
In English you can say “I drank soup” as a joke. In Spanish, beber sticks to liquids. If it’s thick or eaten with a spoon, speakers often choose comer. If you’re unsure, name the food: me comí la sopa sounds normal.
Overusing “Eso”
English “I drank that” maps to me bebí eso, yet Spanish often prefers the pronoun lo/la or the noun itself. If “that” points to a specific item on the table, me lo bebí is smoother than repeating eso again and again.
A Simple Drill To Lock It In
Spend five minutes with one drink noun and rotate through the patterns. This builds speed without forcing you to translate in your head.
- Pick a noun: el agua, la cerveza, el jugo.
- Say the noun version: me bebí el agua.
- Swap to the pronoun version: me la bebí.
- Say the plain version: la bebí.
- Say the casual verb version: me la tomé.
If you want to double-check pronoun choices (lo/la/le) in a writing context, FundéuRAE has a clear set of notes on laísmo, leísmo, and loísmo with examples that match modern editorial Spanish. FundéuRAE notes on “la/le/lo”
Self Check Before You Hit Send
- Is “it” a masculine noun? Use lo. Feminine noun? Use la.
- Do you mean “finished it”? Add me: me lo / me la.
- Is the context casual? me lo tomé often lands well.
- Do you want neutral “drink” meaning? lo bebí stays clear.
Once these pieces click, “I drank it” stops being one phrase and turns into a small set of choices you control. That’s when your Spanish starts to sound like you meant it.
References & Sources
- Real Academia Española (RAE).“beber” (Diccionario de la lengua española).Verb entry and conjugation lines used for forms like “bebí.”
- Real Academia Española (RAE).“Uso de los pronombres «lo(s)», «la(s)», «le(s)».”Norm guidance for direct and indirect object pronouns.
- Instituto Cervantes (CVC Foros).“Comer, tomar, beber” (foro).Notes on everyday use of “tomar” vs. “beber.”
- FundéuRAE.“laísmo, leísmo y loísmo, claves de redacción.”Extra examples for “la/le/lo” choices in edited Spanish.