sueña en grande
/sweɲa en ɡɾande/from spelling rules
The English phrase "dream big" is translated into Spanish as sueña en grande.
This is an encouraging phrase used to tell someone to set ambitious goals and imagine a successful future.
Which one should you use?
While sueña en grande is a direct way to tell someone to dream big, you can also use Pensar a lo grande to express the concept of thinking big. For a more formal way to describe the state of having great aspirations, use Tener grandes aspiraciones.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form sueña en grande uses the informal imperative (tú) command form of the verb soñar. If you are addressing a group of people, you should use the plural imperative form sueñen en grande.
How do you pronounce it?
/sweɲa en ɡɾande/
Did you know?
- The word grande changes meaning if placed before the noun it describes. While un hombre grande is a big man, un gran hombre is a great man.
- In some Latin American cultures, telling someone to sueña en grande is often paired with the phrase si quieres, puedes, meaning 'if you want to, you can'.
- The verb soñar is often paired with the preposition con when dreaming about a specific thing, whereas English uses 'of' or 'about'.
Examples in context
- ¡Claro! ¡Soñar en grande y hacerlo realidad!Of course! Dream big and make it happen!
- No tengas miedo de tus metas. Sueña en grande.Don't be afraid of your goals, dream big.
- No tengas miedo, sueña en grande.Don't be afraid, dream big.
- Si quieres ser astronauta, sueña en grande.If you want to be an astronaut, dream big.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are discussing Lucía's career aspirations.
- Mateo¿Quieres montar tu propia empresa?Do you want to start your own company?
- LucíaSí, pero me parece un objetivo muy difícil.Yes, but it seems like a very difficult goal to me.
- Mateo¡No te detengas, Lucía, sueña en grande!Don't stop, Lucía, dream big!
- LucíaTienes razón, gracias por el consejo, Mateo.You're right, thanks for the advice, Mateo.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
