Me quedé dormido
/me kede doɾmido/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I overslept" is translated into Spanish as Me quedé dormido.
This phrase is used to explain that you slept longer than you intended to. For a more relaxed tone, you can also use me dormí de más, which means "I slept more than necessary".
What does it mean word for word?
The expression Me quedé dormido literally translates to "I stayed asleep". It uses the reflexive verb quedarse (to stay or remain) and the adjective dormido (asleep).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the preterite tense to describe the completed action of oversleeping in the past. Note that the ending must change based on the gender of the speaker: use Me quedé dormido if the speaker is male and Me quedé dormida if the speaker is female.
Did you know?
- While Me quedé dormido is used for oversleeping, the phrase quedarse dormido also describes the exact moment someone accidentally falls asleep while reading or watching a movie.
- The word dormido shares a common ancestor with the English word 'dormitory', as both stem from the Latin 'dormire' meaning 'to sleep'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, claiming me quedé dormido is a common, lighthearted way to excuse minor lack of punctuality without sounding like a serious failure.
Examples in context
- Me quedé dormido porque mi alarma no sonó.I overslept because my alarm didn't go off.This sentence is useful for explaining that a non-functioning alarm was the reason you used Me quedé dormido.Tatoeba #483501 by Raimondi, translation #323801 by CK
- Me quedé dormido y llegué tarde al colegio.I overslept and was late for school.This sentence is useful for describing how using Me quedé dormido resulted in being late for school.Tatoeba #1683823 by marcelostockle, translation #321872 by CK
- Me quedé dormido porque me quedé hasta tarde.I overslept because I stayed up late.This sentence is useful for explaining that staying up late caused you to use Me quedé dormido.Tatoeba #1726400 by marcelostockle, translation #684697 by notrwanda
- Chicos, me quedé dormido/a. ¡Qué desastre!Guys, I overslept. What a mess!
- No sé qué pasó, ¡me quedé dormido/a y llegué tarde!I don't know what happened, I overslept and arrived late!
- ¡Ay, soy un desastre! Hoy me pasé durmiendo otra vez.Oh, I'm a mess! I overslept again today.
- Lamentablemente, debido a un problema con mi alarma, me dormí más de la cuenta.Unfortunately, due to an issue with my alarm, I slept longer than intended.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are meeting for breakfast at a cafe.
- SofíaLo siento, me quedé dormido hoy.I'm sorry, I overslept today.
- MateoNo te preocupes, acabo de llegar.Don't worry, I just arrived.
- SofíaGracias por esperarme, Mateo.Thank you for waiting for me, Mateo.
- MateoEstá bien, vamos a pedir ya.It's okay, let's order now.
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.
