want to drink? nomitai?

[amethystnights]

I'm just re copying my notes for ease in reading(theres large smudges) and I came accross my 'want to do' section and was wondering if you turn mizu o nomitai into a question would it be -nomitai ka or -nomitai desu ka? which sounds the most natural?

[Kates]

It would be either, amethyst, depending on the politeness level you want.
"Mizu wo nomitai (ka)?" would be fine for a friend, but "mizu wo nomitai desu ka" would be more polite... of course. ^^

Notes: Nani-ka nomitai desu ka? = Would you like something do drink?
And to say "he/she/other person wants to drink" you use 'tagaru' not 'tai'. Kare ha mizu wo nomitagarimasu. = He wants to drink water.
However, 'tai' is fine when you are asking someone 'do you want...?'

[amethystnights]

yay thank you so much!

[nprz]

If you wish to asking someone if they would want something to drink, it would be more polite to say something like 何か飲みませんか? Won't you drink something?
If you are friends then なんか飲む? would be fine.

[AJBryant]

Indeed. It's generally "impolite" to use "-tai" with someone else.


Tony

[WacKostRacKo]

what about:
飲みものは何がいいですか？　

as for a drink, what would you like? does that make any sense, it seems alright as far as i can tell, but the above sentences seem better.

[Kates]

Okay, yeah if we want to get into asking about what someone wants to drink these are all great.... -_- Except "...ikaga desu ka" was forgotten but whatever. (: (I was just giving a few extra notes about using 'tai' verbs...)

I thought amethyst was just asking if "[naninani]-tai desu ka" was OK to use. >_> Unless, amethyst, you're actually trying to find out a polite way to ask someone if they want to drink...?

[Harisenbon]

Just a two little little piddly differences as well,

飲みたいか？ Sounds kind of rough agressive
飲みたいの？ is friendly and casual
飲みたいんですか？　is a little pushy. The way it was explained to me is that you are asking based on the listener's condition. ie, she looks thirsty, and you are offering a drink.

おゆ is always hot water while みず is always cold or tepid water.

[Mukade]

Waiters and waitresses (or secretaries, if you are visiting an associate company and meeting with the boss) will usually say:

お飲み物はいかがでしょうか。
onomimono wa ikaga deshou ka.

The onomimono might be substituted with ocha or koohii, but the form is the same. This is perhaps the most polite.

The most casual might be:

飲み物は。
nomimono wa?

or

何か飲む。
nanika nomu?

[AJBryant]

My standard for these situations:

なにか冷たい物を？
お茶でもどう？

I don't know why, but this one -- なにか飲もうか？ -- always seems to suggest "beer" to me. Maybe because it's the suggestion that we'll be drinking it together, and while people *do* drink coffee or tea together, beer is the "companionly" drink.

Tony

[nprz]

Some of the drinkers I know always say something like 飲もうぜ, and they imply alcohol. Of course they never say 何か which would imply (to me) something else besides strictly alcohol.
"want to drink?" to me seems like alcohol, although "something to drink?" doesn't

[AJBryant]

Good point, although the "nani ka" could be beer *or* .... the "or" being, of course, scotch, bourbon, whiskey, wine, tequila, Tom Collins....


Tony