the difference between bebeis and beben

Question

you drink- has two types,

bebéis and beben, what's the difference?

Answer 1

The last one is the polite form. The first one mainly used in Spain, not so much in the rest of the spanish speaking world.

Answer 2

one is 2nd person, plural, informal (vosotros) and the other is 2nd person, plural, formal (ustedes)

• The use of "ustedes" is not always formal. - --Mariana-- Oct 20, 2009
• I understand your point that in Latin AM. usted is used for vosotros, but the forms are still informal/formal. They do not say usted is the vosotors form , they say that the vosotros form is the 2nd person formal. - qfreed Oct 20, 2009

Answer 3

Bebeis means you (informal, plural) drink and is generally used in Spain. Beben mean you (formal,plural) drink (as in ustedes beben). Beben is normally used in other Spanish speaking countries - they don't use 'Bebeis'. I think that's correct, but I'm a student like you, so I stand to be corrected.

Answer 4

Shortly

Bebéis - second person plural

Beben - third person plural

In Spain you use (Ustedes) third person plural instead of second if you want to make it formal/polite.

Most (all?) other Spanish speaking countries don't use second person plural at all - third person plural instead.