sorber

to sip

sorber(sohr-behr)

transitive verb

1. (to drink in small quantities)

a. to sip

"Buen día", dijo Laura, y siguió sorbiendo su taza de té.

"Good morning", said Laura, and she continued sipping her cup of tea.

b. to suck up

Mario sorbió el vino para catarlo.

Mario sucked up the wine to taste it.

c. to slurp

En Japón no está mal visto sorber la sopa.

In Japan, it's not considered bad manners to slurp your soup.

2. (to sop up)

a. to soak up

Esta esponja vieja ya no sorbe el agua.

This old sponge doesn't soak up water anymore.

b. to absorb

Coloquemos servilletas de papel en la mesa para que sorban el líquido derramado.

Let's place paper napkins on the table so they absorb the spilled liquid.

3. (to suck down)

a. to swallow up

Los marineros escaparon en un bote salvavidas antes de que el mar sorbiera el barco.

The sailors escaped in the lifeboats before the sea swallowed up the ship.

4. (to listen attentively)

a. to drink in

Me senté adelante en la clase y sorbí la fascinante lección del profesor.

I sat in front of the class and drank in the professor's fascinating explanation.

sorberse

pronominal verb

5. (to inhale)

a. to sniff

Mi hijo está resfriado. Se la pasó todo el día estornudando y sorbiéndose.

My son caught a cold. He has been sneezing and sniffing all day.

b. to sniffle

No tosas o te sorbas cerca del micrófono.

Don't cough or sniffle in the microphone.