¿estás despierto?
In Spanish, "are you up?" is translated as ¿estás despierto? to ask if someone is awake.
This phrase is used to inquire whether a person is conscious or awake. While ¿estás despierto? asks if a person is awake, ¿estás levantado? asks if they have actually gotten out of bed.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on who you are addressing. If you are asking a woman if she is awake, use the feminine form ¿estás despierta? instead of the masculine ¿estás despierto? To ask a group of people if they are awake, use the plural form ¿están despiertos?
When do people say it?
A standard way to answer this question is Sí, estoy despierto if you are male or Sí, estoy despierta if you are female.
Did you know?
- The word despierto shares an unexpected DNA with the English word 'expert'.
- Spanish has a unique word desvelado to describe the state of being awake when you should be sleeping. While despierto is neutral, desvelado implies a lack of sleep or insomnia.
- The command ¡Despierta! is often used metaphorically to tell someone to 'wake up' to a reality or pay attention to a situation.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, señor. ¿Está usted despierto?Excuse me, sir. Are you up?
- Señor Hernandez, perdone la interrupción. ¿Se encuentra despierto?Mr. Hernandez, pardon the interruption. Are you up?
- ¡Hola, María! ¿Estás despierta?Hey, Maria! Are you up?
- Hola Roberto, es bastante tarde. ¿Estás despierto todavía?Hi Roberto, it's quite late. Are you up?
- ¡Oye! ¿Estás levantado?Hey! Are you up?
- ¿Sigues despierto?Are you still awake?
Example conversation
Alejandro texts Elena early in the morning.
- AlejandroBuenos días, ¿estás despierto?Good morning, are you up?
- ElenaSí, me acabo de levantar.Yes, I just got up.
- Alejandro¿Quieres ir por un café?Do you want to go for a coffee?
- ElenaMe parece una idea genial.That sounds like a great idea.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries despierto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
