What does it mean word for word?
The phrase uses the reflexive pronoun me and the verb quedarse to indicate a change of state (becoming asleep).
Which one should you use?
While Me quedé dormido emphasizes the state of having fallen asleep (often implying an unintentional transition), Me dormí is a more direct way to say "I fell asleep" or "I went to sleep".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and Central America, Me dormí de un tiro. means "I fell asleep in one go". In Spain, the colloquial expression Me quedé sobado/a. can be used to convey sleeping deeply or being heavily asleep, and the phrase Me dormí como un tronco. means "I slept like a log".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes its ending to reflect the gender of the speaker: use dormido for a male and dormida for a female.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use Yo caí dormido to translate "I fell asleep". English speakers often mistakenly use the verb caer (to fall physically) to translate 'fell asleep', but in Spanish, you must use quedarse dormido or dormirse.
When do people say it?
The phrase Me quedé frito/a. is a colloquial way to convey the idea of being completely knocked out, meaning "I crashed" or "I conked out".
Did you know?
- If you want to say you fell asleep instantly, you can say Me quedé frito, which literally translates to 'I became fried'.
- The word dormido comes from the Latin 'dormire', which is the distant ancestor of the English word 'dormitory'.
- While English speakers use the verb 'fall' to describe the transition to sleep, Spanish uses quedarse, which means 'to remain' or 'to stay'.
Examples in context
- Me quedé dormido mientras leía.I fell asleep while reading.This sentence shows how to use Me quedé dormido when describing falling asleep while reading.Tatoeba #1562266 by marcelostockle, translation #322096 by Swift
- Me quedé dormido leyendo un libro.While I was reading, I fell asleep.This sentence is useful for saying you fell asleep while reading a book.Tatoeba #1067496 by Shishir, translation #261752 by CK
- Me quedé dormido viendo televisión.Watching TV, I fell asleep.This sentence illustrates using Me quedé dormido while watching television.Tatoeba #1562250 by marcelostockle, translation #39174 by Lumi
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel is explaining to María why he missed their morning meeting.
- DanielPerdón, María, no escuché la alarma.Sorry, María, I didn't hear the alarm.
- María¿Por qué llegaste tan tarde hoy?Why did you arrive so late today?
- DanielMe quedé dormido y no me desperté.I fell asleep and didn't wake up.
- MaríaNo te preocupes, Daniel, sucede a veces.Don't worry, Daniel, it happens sometimes.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dormido, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
