vete a la cama
/bete a la kama/from spelling rules
The English phrase "get to bed" is translated into Spanish as vete a la cama.
This phrase is an instruction telling someone to go to sleep. While vete a la cama focuses on the physical location of the bed, you might also use vete a dormir if you want to focus specifically on the act of sleeping.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
There are several ways to express this depending on who you are addressing. vete a la cama and Acuéstate are informal. For formal situations, use Vaya a la cama or Acuéstese. In a very casual or commanding setting, such as a parent speaking to a child, you might use the shortened version ¡A la cama!
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to someone using the formal usted instead of the informal tú, you should use vaya a la cama instead of vete a la cama. To tell more than one person to go to bed, use the plural form vayan a la cama.
Did you know?
- While vete a la cama is a standard instruction, some Spanish speakers use the phrase irse al sobre, which literally means 'to go to the envelope'.
- In Spanish, the verb acostarse used in acuéstate comes from costa, meaning 'side'. Literally, telling someone to go to bed is telling them to put themselves on their side.
- While cama is the standard word for bed, its linguistic origins are a bit of a mystery. It is thought to have been borrowed from a Paleo-Hispanic language that existed before the Romans arrived in the Iberian Peninsula.
Examples in context
- Vete a la cama.Get to bed.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase vete a la cama.Tatoeba #2852370 by marcelostockle, translation #2245515 by CK
- Vete a la cama ahora mismo.Get to bed right now.
- Es tarde, vete a la cama.It is late, get to bed.
Example conversation
A father is telling his daughter to sleep.
- JavierElena, ya es hora.Elena, it is already time.
- ElenaNo quiero dormir todavía.I don't want to sleep yet.
- JavierNo seas terca, vete a la cama.Don't be stubborn, get to bed.
- ElenaEstá bien, papá.Okay, dad.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, cama, la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
