What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is based on the verb apuntarse, which literally means to sign oneself up or to write oneself down on a list. In the expression ¿te apuntas?, the reflexive pronoun te (you) is used with the verb to indicate that the person is joining the activity themselves.
Which one should you use?
While ¿te apuntas? asks a single person if they are in, you can use ¿Se apuntan? to ask a group of people if they are all down or all in.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
¿Te apuntas? is an informal expression used among friends or peers. It is not suitable for professional settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
To specify the activity, you can follow the phrase with the preposition a and a noun or an infinitive, such as ¿Te apuntas a un cine? (Are you down for a movie?).
When do people say it?
When someone asks if you are down, you can accept the invitation by saying ¡Me apunto!, which translates to "I'm down!" or "I'm signing myself up!" If you wish to decline, you can say No me apunto to indicate "I'll pass" or "I'm not down".
Did you know?
- While ¿te apuntas? is common, people in Mexico often use ¿te jalas? to ask if someone is down. This literally means 'do you pull yourself?', evoking the image of pulling oneself into a group or activity.
- The verb apuntar also means 'to aim' or 'to point'. Because of this, the expression ¿te apuntas? creates a subtle mental image of aiming oneself toward a specific goal or destination.
- Using apuntarse can shift the meaning from joining a social outing to accepting a dare or a bet.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola Laura! Estamos planeando ir a la playa este fin de semana, ¿te apuntas?Hi Laura! We're planning to go to the beach this weekend, are you down?
- Oye, ¿te animas a ir al concierto de rock el próximo sábado?Hey, are you up for going to the rock concert next Saturday?
- Vamos al cine, ¿te apuntas?We're going to the movies, are you down?
- Mañana jugaremos al fútbol, ¿te apuntas?We're playing soccer tomorrow, are you down?
Example conversation
Alejandro is asking Elena if she wants to go to a concert.
- AlejandroHay un concierto esta noche, ¿te apuntas?There is a concert tonight, are you down?
- Elena¡Claro! Me encantaría ir.Sure! I would love to go.
- AlejandroPerfecto, paso a buscarte a las ocho.Perfect, I'll pick you up at eight.
- ElenaVale, allí estaré.Okay, I'll be there.
