Café & Drinks

1. Ahayhuete tereré

   A-hay-hu-e-te te-re-ré

   I love tereré

   Usage

   Show appreciation for tereré, Paraguay's iconic cold herb drink

   Grammar Note

   "a-" is the 1sg subject prefix (ahayhu = I love it). "ro-" encodes a 1sg subject acting on a 2sg object, so "rohayhu" can only mean "I love you" and never takes a thing as its object. "-ete" is the intensifier

2. Nde reipotápa tereré peteĩ?

   Nde rei-po-tá-pa te-re-ré pe-te-ĩ

   Would you like some tereré?

   Usage

   Offer tereré to someone — sharing is central to Guaraní culture

   Grammar Note

   "-pa" is the question particle; "re-" is the second-person singular verb prefix

3. Aipota y ro'ysã

   A-i-po-ta y ro-'y-sã

   I want cold water

   Usage

   Order cold water at a restaurant or food stall

   Grammar Note

   "y" means "water" in Guaraní — a single letter, found in many place names like "Paraguay". "Cold" of a drink is "ro'ysã", as in "y ro'ysã porãva". "ro'y" means "cold weather / winter" and is not used of water

4. Aipota ka'ay haku

   A-i-po-ta ka-'ay ha-ku

   I want hot yerba mate tea

   Usage

   Order hot mate — the warm version of yerba mate

   Grammar Note

   "ka'ay" is ka'a (yerba / herb) + y (water): literally "herb water", i.e. mate — a typical Guaraní compound

5. Reikuaápa rejapo tereré?

   Rei-kuaá-pa re-ja-po te-re-ré

   Do you know how to prepare tereré?

   Usage

   Learn how to prepare tereré from a local

   Grammar Note

   "kuaa" is a versatile verb meaning "to know/to be able"; a question needs the particle "-pa" (reikuaápa). "ñepyrũ" means "to begin", not "to prepare", so "rejapo" (you make) is the verb for asking how something is made

6. Pepsi/Coca-Cola reipotápa?

   Pep-si/Co-ca-Co-la rei-po-tá-pa

   Would you like a Pepsi/Coca-Cola?

   Usage

   Offer a soft drink to someone

   Grammar Note

   Brand names are used as-is; soft drinks are also called "gaseosa" (Spanish) in Paraguay

7. Aipota káña

   A-i-po-ta ká-ña

   I want caña (sugarcane spirit)

   Usage

   Order caña, a traditional Paraguayan sugarcane distillate

   Grammar Note

   The Guaraní spelling is "káña"; "Caña" is the Spanish form. "c" is not a letter of the Guaraní alphabet. On labels and in Spanish the spirit is written "caña paraguaya"

8. Ko y iporãpa ja'u hag̃ua?

   Ko y i-po-rã-pa ja-'u ha-g̃ua

   Is this water safe to drink?

   Usage

   Verify if the water is safe to drink

   Grammar Note

   "-pa" is the question particle; "hag̃ua" marks purpose. The root "'u" covers both eating and drinking; the 1pl-inclusive form is "ja'u"

9. Aipota mosto

   A-i-po-ta mos-to

   I want mosto (sugarcane juice)

   Usage

   Order mosto, the fresh-pressed sugarcane juice sold at street stalls

   Grammar Note

   "mosto" is a Spanish loanword; in Paraguay it names the fresh-pressed juice (mainly sugarcane) sold at street stalls. Guaraní for "medicinal herb" is "pohã ñana"; the compound "mosto ka'a" is not used

10. Aipota agua mineral

    A-i-po-ta a-gua mi-ne-ral

    I want mineral water

    Usage

    Order mineral water at a restaurant or shop

    Grammar Note

    Guaraní for "water" is "y", but bottled mineral water is called "agua mineral" throughout Paraguay and the loan is kept in jopara. "Tupãsy" means "Mother of God"; it is not a word for water

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