Significado
Euphemism for consuming excessive alcohol.
Contexto cultural
In villages, making your own alcohol (țuică) is a point of pride. The idiom reflects the omnipresence of alcohol in daily life and the community's way of dealing with it through humor. Agheasmă is sacred water used for blessings. Using this word for alcohol is a form of 'sacrilegious humor' that is very common in Romania, showing a relaxed, almost familial relationship with religion. Romanians value 'cheful' (the party spirit). Being someone who 'trage la agheasmă' can sometimes be seen as being the 'life of the party,' provided it's not taken to a destructive extreme. In cities, the phrase is used more ironically by younger generations to mock the 'old school' village drinking habits or to describe a heavy night out in a hipster bar.
Use 'cam' for authenticity
Always add 'cam' (somewhat) before the verb to sound like a native. 'El cam trage la agheasmă' sounds much more natural than 'El trage la agheasmă'.
Watch your audience
Don't use this around very religious elderly people; they might find the comparison of alcohol to holy water offensive.
Significado
Euphemism for consuming excessive alcohol.
Use 'cam' for authenticity
Always add 'cam' (somewhat) before the verb to sound like a native. 'El cam trage la agheasmă' sounds much more natural than 'El trage la agheasmă'.
Watch your audience
Don't use this around very religious elderly people; they might find the comparison of alcohol to holy water offensive.
The 'Țuică' connection
This idiom is most often associated with clear spirits like țuică or palincă, because they look exactly like water.
Teste-se
Fill in the missing word to complete the idiom.
Vecinul meu cam trage la _______ în fiecare seară.
The correct idiom is 'a trage la agheasmă'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to say someone drinks too much in a joke?
How would you joke about a friend's drinking?
This is the most idiomatic and humorous way to express the idea.
Complete the dialogue with the correct form of the verb.
Andrei: 'Unde e Vasile?' Ioan: 'E la cârciumă, iar ____ la agheasmă.'
The subject is Vasile (he), so the verb 'a trage' must be in the 3rd person singular: 'trage'.
Match the phrase to the correct situation.
When is it appropriate to use 'a trage la agheasmă'?
The phrase is informal and humorous, suitable for social gatherings.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Recursos visuais
Drinking Idioms by Intensity
Light/Humorous
- • A trage la agheasmă
- • A trage la măsea
Heavy/Slang
- • A fi rangă
- • A fi praf
Banco de exercicios
4 exerciciosVecinul meu cam trage la _______ în fiecare seară.
The correct idiom is 'a trage la agheasmă'.
How would you joke about a friend's drinking?
This is the most idiomatic and humorous way to express the idea.
Andrei: 'Unde e Vasile?' Ioan: 'E la cârciumă, iar ____ la agheasmă.'
The subject is Vasile (he), so the verb 'a trage' must be in the 3rd person singular: 'trage'.
When is it appropriate to use 'a trage la agheasmă'?
The phrase is informal and humorous, suitable for social gatherings.
🎉 Pontuação: /4
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasIt's not vulgar, but it is critical. It's like saying someone 'hits the bottle'—it's a joke, but it points out a vice.
Yes, it applies to any alcohol, though it historically refers to clear spirits.
You say 'Noi tragem la agheasmă'.
No, the idiom itself is inherently informal. In formal settings, just say 'consumă alcool'.
Yes, it's a great way to be self-deprecating about having a drink.
Usually, yes. There is also the verb 'a se aghesmui' which specifically means to get drunk.
'Agheasmă' is the traditional, more common term for holy water. 'Apă sfințită' is more descriptive and formal.
Yes, but often ironically or when imitating older relatives.
Absolutely! It's very common in casual texts between friends.
It means 'to pull', 'to draw', or 'to shoot'. In this context, it's 'to pull' (from a bottle).
Frases relacionadas
A trage la măsea
synonymTo drink alcohol (literally: to pull at the tooth).
A se aghesmui
specialized formTo get drunk.
A fi matol
similarTo be drunk.
A o lua pe ulei
similarTo start drinking or acting drunk (literally: to go on oil).
