acostarse tarde
/akostaɾse taɾde/from spelling rules
To go to bed late in Spanish is acostarse tarde.
The phrase is used to describe the act of going to sleep after the usual or expected time. If you want to be more concise, you can use the single verb trasnochar, which means to stay up late.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of acostar (to lay/put), the reflexive suffix -se (oneself) and tarde (late), meaning 'to lay oneself down late'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because acostarse is a reflexive verb, you must use reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) to indicate who is going to bed, such as in me acuesto tarde (I go to bed late). When expressing that someone went to bed late in the third person singular past tense, you would use a form like se acostó tarde.
How do you pronounce it?
/akostaɾse taɾde/
Did you know?
- The verb acostarse comes from costa, meaning 'side'. Literally, to go to bed is to put oneself on one's side.
- While acostarse tarde describes the act of going to sleep, the verb trasnochar specifically refers to the act of staying awake through the night. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, trasnochar is often associated with socializing or partying rather than just insomnia.
- The word tarde shares an ancient root with the Latin 'tardus', which is also the ancestor of the English word 'tardy'.
Examples in context
- Mi rutina me impide acostarme tardeMy routine prevents me from going to bed late
- Como médico, a veces tengo que irme a la cama tardeAs a doctor, sometimes I have to go to bed late
- Nos encanta trasnochar los fines de semanaWe love staying up late on weekends
- Durante las vacaciones, suelo acostarme tarde para aprovechar al máximo mi tiempo libre.During vacations, I usually go to bed late to make the most of my free time.
- No puedo acostarme tarde porque tengo que trabajar temprano.I cannot go to bed late because I have to work early.
- No es bueno acostarse tarde.It is not good to go to bed late.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tarde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
