cerveza

beer

noun sehr-BEH-sah Less Common

Origin: From Latin cerevisia, the Gaulish word for barley ale.

Usage Note

Cerveza is the standard word for beer throughout the Spanish-speaking world. In Spain, ordering una caña (a small draught beer) is more common at a bar than asking for una cerveza by name — cerveza is the generic term. The v is pronounced as a soft b (sehr-BEH-sah). The word's Latin root cerevisia was the Gaulish name for the drink, which is unusually specific for a Latin borrowing.

Examples

"Pidió una cerveza fría después del trabajo."

Natural Translation

He ordered a cold beer after work.

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