What Does “Drink to sth” Mean?
“Drink to sth” means to raise a glass and drink in order to celebrate or honor something.
Introduction
The phrase “Drink to sth” is a common expression used when people want to celebrate an event, achievement, or special occasion. The “sth” stands for “something,” which could be anything worth celebrating, such as success, friendship, or good health. When you “drink to something,” you often raise your glass and say a few words before taking a sip. Understanding the “Drink to sth meaning” helps you join in social events and conversations naturally. This phrase is widely used in English-speaking countries during parties, dinners, or informal gatherings. Knowing how to use it correctly can make your English sound more fluent and culturally aware.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: Drink to sth (drink to something)
- Type: Intransitive
- Level: B1 (Intermediate)
- Short meaning: To raise a glass and drink in honor of something
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Drink to sth” is an inseparable phrasal verb. This means you cannot separate the verb and the object with other words.
Pattern: drink to + something
Examples:
- We drank to their success.
- Let’s drink to friendship.
How to Use “Drink to sth”?
You use “drink to sth” when you want to celebrate or honor an event or idea. Usually, it happens in social settings like parties, dinners, or celebrations. Before drinking, people often say a short speech or a toast. For example, you can say, “Let’s drink to your health!” and then take a sip of your drink.
Examples
Imagine you are at a birthday party. You might say, “Let’s drink to the birthday girl!” before drinking.
- We drank to the team’s victory after the match.
- At the wedding, everyone drank to the happy couple.
- They drank to a bright future during the celebration.
- We always drink to good health at family dinners.
- She raised her glass and drank to her new job.
These examples show “Drink to sth in a sentence” used naturally in different situations.
Common Mistakes
People sometimes say “drink for sth” or “drink about sth,” but these are incorrect when meaning to celebrate.
- Incorrect: We drank for their success.
- Correct: We drank to their success.
- Incorrect: Let’s drink about friendship.
- Correct: Let’s drink to friendship.
Remember, always use “to” after “drink” when you mean to celebrate something.
Differences / Synonyms
Similar phrases include “toast to sth” and “cheers to sth.” However, “toast” specifically refers to the act of saying something before drinking, while “drink to sth” includes both the speech and the act of drinking.
“Cheers” is often used as a short exclamation before drinking but doesn’t always include a formal celebration.
Example differences:
- We toasted to their success with a speech.
- We drank to their success by raising our glasses.
- Everyone said “Cheers!” before the drink.
Common Collocations
When using “drink to sth,” it often pairs with words related to celebrations or positive events.
- Success: Celebrating achievements
- Health: Wishing good health
- Friendship: Honoring relationships
- Victory: Celebrating winning
- Future: Hoping for good things ahead
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of drink to sth:
Real-life Dialogue
At a dinner party, two friends talk:
Anna: This has been a great year for you! Let’s drink to your promotion.
Ben: Thanks, Anna! I’m happy to celebrate with you.
Anna: Cheers! To your success!
Ben: Cheers!
Practice
Fill in the blanks with the correct phrase:
- Let’s _______ to the new baby’s health.
- We drank _______ the end of the project.
- Everyone raised their glasses to _______ friendship.
Answers:
- drink to
- to
- drink to
FAQs
- What does “drink to sth” mean? It means to raise a glass and drink in honor or celebration of something.
- Can I use “drink to” in formal settings? Yes, it is used in both formal and informal celebrations.
- Is “drink to” separable? No, you cannot separate “drink” and “to.” They always stay together.
- What are common things to “drink to”? Success, health, friendship, victory, and future are common examples.
- Is “drink to” the same as “toast to”? They are similar, but “toast to” focuses more on the speech before drinking.
