¿Te vas a dormir?
The English phrase "are you going to sleep?" is translated into Spanish as ¿Te vas a dormir?
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase Te vas a dormir literally means "You go yourself to to sleep". It is composed of the reflexive pronoun te (yourself), the verb vas (you go), the preposition a (to) and the infinitive dormir (to sleep).
Which one should you use?
While ¿Te vas a dormir? implies the intention or the process of heading to bed, the alternative ¿Te duermes? is more likely used to ask if someone is currently falling asleep.
Did you know?
- The phrase dormir en los laureles is a Spanish idiom meaning to become complacent, literally translating to 'sleeping in the laurels'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, it is common to say ¡Buenas noches! as a greeting when arriving at a social gathering late at night, rather than only when leaving to sleep.
- The word dormir shares an ancient root with the English word 'dormitory', which is a place intended for sleeping.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, señor García. ¿Va a dormir?Good morning, Mr. Garcia. Are you going to sleep?
- Oye, ¿vas a dormir después de esta película?Hey, are you going to sleep after this movie?
- Veo que apagas la luz, ¿te vas a dormir?I see you are turning off the light, are you going to sleep?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, dormir, te, CC BY-SA 4.0.
