despierto
/desˈpjeɾto/
despierto is the Spanish word for awake.
despierto is an adjective used to describe a person who is not asleep. It is derived from the verb despertar, which means to wake up or to wake someone up. When describing the state of being awake, you should use the verb estar rather than ser.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions of Latin America, the inclusive variant despiertx may be used.
How does it change in a sentence?
As an adjective, despierto must agree in gender and number with the person or people being described. Use despierta for a female, despiertos for a group of men or a mixed-gender group and despiertas for a group of women. Note that the gender of the word also changes based on the gender of the person speaking. A man would use despierto to describe himself, while a woman would use despierta.
How do you pronounce it?
/desˈpjeɾto/
Did you know?
- The word despierto shares an ancient root with the English word 'expert'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling a child despierto is a high compliment to their curiosity and mental alertness.
- If you use the verb ser instead of estar with despierto, you are describing a person's inherent character rather than their current state.
Examples in context
- Me he despertado con una gran idea en la cabeza.I woke up with a great idea in my head.
- Estoy despierta y lista para comenzar la reunión.I am awake and ready to start the meeting.
- Todavía estoy despierto.I am still awake.
- ¿Ya estás despierto?Are you awake already?
- Él se mantiene despierto con café.He stays awake with coffee.
Example conversation
Daniel is in bed and María enters the room.
- María¿Daniel, ya estás despierto?Daniel, are you awake already?
- DanielNo, todavía no estoy despierto.No, I am not awake yet.
- MaríaPero el sol ya salió.But the sun is already out.
- DanielDame cinco minutos más.Give me five more minutes.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry despierto, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries despierto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
