Un atole VS Un vaso de atole

Question

In the mornings, a guy comes down my street selling atole and tamales. I usually ask him for "un vaso de atole". The other day, another women came up and asked for "un atole".

I am wondering which is better to use now and if one is more common than the other. By the way, I always add on something like "me vende" or "me da" to the beginning.

Thanks

Answer 1

mmmm, atole- not sure where you are, but on the corner of the park Benito Juarez facing the Plaza Democracia en Quetzaltenango there is a lady that sells the best atole I have ever tried

As far as your question, in English we rarely ask for a glass of something othere than water and milk, and the same seems to be true in Spanish, having the preferance for just the drink not the 'envase'

Disfrute su atole!

Answer 2

I would say "un atole" just as you would say "un chocolate."

I don't think I've ever heard "un vaso de atole." It doesn't sound very natural.

Answer 3

Well, I'm from Spain so I didn't even know what atole is until I googled it.. but it's very typical to just say 'un XXX' instead of 'un vaso de.. '.

The only drinks that come to mind right now that I'd ask for using 'vaso de' or 'taza de' are drinks like water ('un vaso de agua..'), milk ('un vaso de leche..') and hot chocolate ('una taza de chocolate..'). The rest I would always use the name of the drink without 'glass' or 'cup', ie: 'un café..', 'un té..', 'una cerveza', etc..

Just curious... do you guys have "chocomilk" over there?? It's pretty much a shake... They usually come in vanilla or chocolate :) - NikkiLR, Dec 23, 2010

Nope. The Spanish market is coped by local, European and American brands. The presence of Latin American brands must be testimonial, if there is any. - bill1111, Dec 23, 2010

Oh... no, it's not a brand... it is just a drink that some people usually sell here on the street... like the atole. - NikkiLR, Dec 23, 2010

Answer 4

Yeah... it's just odd because some things you ask for "a vaso de..." and others you just ask for the drink.

Un café..

Un vaso de agua...

It is just that when I was searching before I asked the question here, I found people writing "...un vaso de atole".

That is why I am not so sure.

All this disgusting irregularity in human languages. It'll be so much better when the robots take over. - samdie, Dec 23, 2010

Answer 5

The only times I've asked for "un vaso" have been for an empty one.