¿cómo duermes?
In Spanish, "how do you sleep?" is said as ¿cómo duermes?
This phrase is a question used to ask someone about their general quality of sleep or their sleeping habits. Because it uses the present indicative tense, it is used to inquire about a general habit rather than asking about a specific instance of sleeping.
Which one should you use?
While ¿cómo duermes? is the standard way to ask about sleep habits, you may also use the colloquial alternative ¿qué tal duermes? to ask about the quality of someone's sleep.
How does it change in a sentence?
The formal version, ¿Cómo duerme usted?, uses the third-person singular form of the verb to address someone with respect.
Did you know?
- The Spanish language uses the word pesadilla for 'nightmare', which literally translates to 'little weight', suggesting the feeling of being crushed while sleeping.
- In Spanish, the word dormir is used in the phrase dormir en los laureles, which describes someone who has become complacent after a success.
- If someone is sleeping very deeply, a Spanish speaker might say they are dormido como un lirón, meaning they are 'asleep like a dormouse'.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿cómo se duerme en este avión tan ruidoso?Excuse me, how do you sleep in this noisy airplane?
- Hola, ¿cómo duermes cuando tienes insomnio?Hey, how do you sleep when you have insomnia?
Example conversation
Mateo and María are talking about their health habits.
- MateoMe siento muy cansado hoy.I feel very tired today.
- MaríaQué raro, ¿cómo duermes?That's strange, how do you sleep?
- MateoDuermo muy poco por las noches.I sleep very little at night.
- MaríaDeberías intentar descansar más, Mateo.You should try to rest more, Mateo.
