Vaso vs. vidrio
In Spanish, vaso and vidrio are both related to the concept of glass, but they have different uses and meanings.
Vaso
A1A vaso specifically refers to a drinking glass or cup used for beverages.
Me tomé un vaso de agua.
(I drank a glass of water.)
¿Quieres un vaso de jugo?
(Do you want a glass of juice?)
El niño rompió el vaso por accidente.
(The child accidentally broke the glass.)
Vidrio
A2Vidrio refers to the material glass, which can be used in various contexts such as windows, bottles, or other objects made from glass.
La ventana está hecha de vidrio.
(The window is made of glass.)
Reciclamos las botellas de vidrio.
(We recycle glass bottles.)
La obra de arte está cubierta por una caja de vidrio para protegerla.
(The artwork is covered by a glass case to protect it.)
Summary
Vaso is used when referring specifically to drinking glasses, while vidrio denotes the material itself, applicable to a variety of objects like windows and bottles.