Me estoy muriendo
/me estoi muɾjendo/from spelling rules
To say "I am dying" in Spanish, you use Me estoy muriendo.
Me estoy muriendo is a statement used to describe someone who is currently in the process of passing away. If you want to specify the cause of your suffering, such as hunger, thirst or laughter, you can follow the phrase with the preposition de to say "I am dying of…"
Which one should you use?
While Me estoy muriendo describes the continuous process of dying, the simple present Me muero is frequently used to express the same state or to convey immediate, hyperbolic intensity, such as saying "I'm dying of laughter."
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the phrase Me muero del susto is used specifically to convey that someone is being scared or startled.
How does it change in a sentence?
The simple present form Me muero can be used to express the same state as the continuous form or to add hyperbolic-like intensity to a statement.
Did you know?
- In some dialects, adding ya to the phrase, as in Ya me muero, shifts the meaning from a process to a state of extreme impatience or longing.
- While Me estoy muriendo is the literal process, saying Me muero can be used as a dramatic way to express extreme embarrassment, which is not a direct translation of 'dying'.
- The pronoun me in Me estoy muriendo is a direct descendant of the Latin word 'mē', which is the same ancestor as the English word 'me'.
Examples in context
- Lamentablemente, me estoy muriendo por encima de mis posibilidades.Alas, I am dying beyond my means.This sentence shows how Me estoy muriendo can be used figuratively in a non-literal sense.Tatoeba #1785868 by Shishir, translation #1785867 by inastar
- Disculpe, pero estoy muriendo de dolor de cabeza. ¿Podría ayudarme?Excuse me, but I am dying from a headache. Could you help me?
- ¡Me estoy muriendo de risa!I am dying of laughter!
- Me voy a morir de los nervios antes del examen.I am going to die from nerves before the exam.
- Estoy que me muero por probar ese postre.I am dying to try that dessert.
- ¡Casi me muero del susto cuando vi esa araña!I almost died of fright when I saw that spider!
- Me estoy muriendo de una enfermedad terminal.I am dying of a terminal illness.
- Siento que me estoy muriendo poco a poco.I feel like I am dying little by little.
Example conversation
A patient is talking to a doctor in a hospital.
- ElenaDoctor, me estoy muriendo, ¿verdad?Doctor, I am dying, aren't I?
- DanielEstamos haciendo todo lo posible, Elena.We are doing everything possible, Elena.
- ElenaSolo quiero saber la verdad.I just want to know the truth.
- DanielTu estado es muy grave, pero lucha.Your condition is very grave, but fight.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
