el sorbo

Definition & meaning

Sorbo has two related uses:

1. A sip; a small amount of liquid taken into the mouth

   • Tomó un sorbo de agua. — “He took a sip of water.”
   • It usually refers to a small quantity, smaller and gentler than a full drink or gulp.

2. “I sip” or “I suck up”, as the first-person singular present form of the verb sorber [?](vocabuo://word/sorber)

   • Sorbo el café lentamente. — “I sip the coffee slowly.”

As a noun, sorbo is masculine: un sorbo, el sorbo.

Grammar & Word origin

• Noun: el sorbo — “sip”
• Plural: los sorbos — “sips”
• Verb form: yo sorbo — “I sip,” “I suck up”
• Verb: sorber [?](vocabuo://word/sorber) — “to sip,” “to suck up,” or “to absorb by suction”

The noun comes from the verb sorber [?](vocabuo://word/sorber), which derives from Latin sorbēre, meaning “to suck in” or “to absorb.”

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

• trago [?](vocabuo://word/trago) — “sip,” “swallow,” or “drink.” It can refer to a larger amount than sorbo and can also mean a drink or alcoholic beverage.
• bocado [?](vocabuo://word/bocado) — literally “bite,” but sometimes used figuratively for a small mouthful. It normally refers to food rather than liquid.
• g sorbito [?](vocabuo://word/g sorbito) — “little sip.” The usual diminutive is sorbito [?](vocabuo://word/sorbito); it emphasizes that the amount is especially small.

Antonyms

There is no exact antonym for sorbo. Depending on the intended contrast, possible opposites include:

• atracón [?](vocabuo://word/atracón) — a binge or excessive intake, especially of food; it contrasts with the small quantity implied by sorbo.
• derrame [?](vocabuo://word/derrame) — a spill, where liquid leaves a container instead of being consumed.
• escupitajo [?](vocabuo://word/escupitajo) — a spit or act of spitting out liquid, contrasting with taking it into the mouth.

Common phrases & collocations

• dar un sorbo [?](vocabuo://word/dar un sorbo) — “to take a sip”
• tomar un sorbo [?](vocabuo://word/tomar un sorbo) — “to take a sip”
• beber a sorbos [?](vocabuo://word/beber a sorbos) — “to drink in sips”
• un pequeño sorbo [?](vocabuo://word/un pequeño sorbo) — “a small sip”
• un sorbo de agua [?](vocabuo://word/un sorbo de agua) — “a sip of water”
• de un sorbo [?](vocabuo://word/de un sorbo) — “in one gulp” or “in a single sip”