In this workshop you will practice a very common real-life situation: buying a bottle of water in a small shop or kiosk. You will learn how to make the request politely, how to choose between still and sparkling water, and how to ask the price. You will also practice understanding the shopkeeper's side of the conversation. Each native example comes from a short recording, and the English meaning is explained before you try it. You can play both roles out loud, but there is no automatic scoring, so use the answer checks to judge yourself honestly.
Making the request and choosing your water
Start with the most useful line: «Una botella de agua, por favor.». This means "A bottle of water, please." The word "botella" means bottle, "agua" means water, and "por favor" makes the request polite. If you want still water, the kind without bubbles, say «Agua sin gas, por favor.». This literally means "water without gas," and it is the normal way to ask for still water in Latin America. If you prefer sparkling water, the kind with bubbles, say «Agua con gas, por favor.». This means "sparkling water, please." Notice that only one small word changes between the two: "sin" means without, and "con" means with. Practice saying all three lines slowly, then a little faster. Keep your voice calm and friendly, as if you were really standing at a counter.
Asking the price and following the exchange
After you choose your water, you often need to ask how much it costs. The simple question is «¿Cuánto cuesta?», which means "How much does it cost?" Use it for one item. Now look at a full exchange. The customer says «Buenas tardes, ¿me da una botella de agua, por favor?», which means "Good afternoon, could you give me a bottle of water, please?" The shopkeeper answers «Claro. ¿Con gas o sin gas?», meaning "Of course. Sparkling or still?" The customer replies «Sin gas, por favor. ¿Cuánto cuesta?», meaning "Still, please. How much does it cost?" Finally the shopkeeper says «Cuesta diez pesos. ¿Algo más?», meaning "It costs ten pesos. Anything else?" Read the whole exchange out loud twice. The first time, play the customer. The second time, play the shopkeeper. This helps you recognize both sides when you hear them in real life.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
Una botella de agua, por favor.
A bottle of water, please.
OO-nah boh-TEH-yah deh AH-gwah, por fah-BOR
Agua sin gas, por favor.
Still water, please. (water without gas)
AH-gwah seen gahs, por fah-BOR
Agua con gas, por favor.
Sparkling water, please.
AH-gwah kohn gahs, por fah-BOR
¿Cuánto cuesta?
How much does it cost?
KWAHN-toh KWEHS-tah
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Buenas tardes, ¿me da una botella de agua, por favor?
Good afternoon, could you give me a bottle of water, please?Claro. ¿Con gas o sin gas?
Of course. Sparkling or still?Sin gas, por favor. ¿Cuánto cuesta?
Still, please. How much does it cost?Cuesta diez pesos. ¿Algo más?
It costs ten pesos. Anything else?Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange at the counter
Imagine you are at a small kiosk in the afternoon. The shopkeeper greets you and is ready to take your order. You want one bottle of water, and you have decided you want the still kind.
Your task: Say your opening request out loud using the polite afternoon greeting and the request for a bottle of water. Then, when the shopkeeper asks whether you want sparkling or still, answer that you want still water. Finish by asking the price.
Listen and choose the right reply
A shopkeeper has just heard your request for water and now asks you a question. You need to understand which question it is and give the correct answer. The shopkeeper may ask about sparkling or still, or may tell you the price and ask if you want anything else.
Your task: Read the shopkeeper's question "Claro. ¿Con gas o sin gas?" out loud. Decide whether this question is about the type of water or about the price. Then give the answer for sparkling water. Next, read "Cuesta diez pesos. ¿Algo más?" out loud and decide whether this is a price statement with a follow-up question or a request for your name.
Recall the whole scene with correct roles
You have practiced both sides of the water-buying conversation. Now you will rebuild the scene from memory, keeping the roles in the right order. The customer speaks first, then the shopkeeper, then the customer, then the shopkeeper.
Your task: Without looking at the lines, say the four-part exchange in order. Start with the customer's afternoon greeting and water request. Then give the shopkeeper's question about sparkling or still. Then give the customer's choice and price question. End with the shopkeeper's price and extra-item question.
Common questions
Do I need to memorize every line before I can speak?
No. Start with the short request for a bottle of water and the two choices for still or sparkling. Once those feel comfortable, add the price question. Short lines are easier to remember, and you can build the full exchange step by step.
What if the shopkeeper says something I do not understand?
You can politely ask the person to repeat by using a simple phrase you already know, or you can point to the water you want and say the request again. In many small shops, the exchange is short and the shopkeeper will often repeat the choice between sparkling and still.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: buy a bottle of waterChecked September 2026
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