Me despierto
/me despjeɾto/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I wake up" is translated into Spanish as Me despierto.
Me despierto is used to state that a person is stopping their sleep and becoming awake. It is distinct from the physical act of leaving one's bed.
Which one should you use?
While Me despierto describes the moment of waking up, me levanto is used specifically for the physical act of getting out of bed. Additionally, the non-reflexive form despertar means to wake someone else up, whereas the reflexive me despierto is used for waking oneself up.
How does it change in a sentence?
This phrase is reflexive, which means the pronoun me (myself) is required to show that the subject is performing the action on themselves.
How do you pronounce it?
/me despjeɾto/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use me levanto if you only mean the moment you stop sleeping. Use me levanto specifically when you mean the act of getting out of bed.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, you can be despierto (awake) or despierto (alert/clever). The same word describes both the physical state of not sleeping and a personality trait of being sharp-witted.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the phrase despertar el hambre is used to describe the act of stimulating an appetite, literally 'waking up' the hunger.
- The Latin root of despierto involves the verb 'expergīscor', which shares an ancestor with the English word 'experience', linking the sensation of waking up to the experience of the senses.
Examples in context
- Me despierto muy temprano.I wake up very early.This sentence shows how to use Me despierto to describe a time of day.Tatoeba #1831158 by Shishir, translation #1807309 by Eldad
- Me despierto a las 6 y media de la mañana.I wake up at half past six in the morning.This sentence demonstrates using Me despierto to specify a precise time.Tatoeba #3796318 by Seael, translation #277734 by CK
- No recuerdo mis sueños cuando me despierto.I don't remember my dreams when I wake up.This sentence uses Me despierto to describe a sequence of events involving dreams.Tatoeba #6612104 by arh, translation #9087523 by Nylez
- Me despierto a las 6 de la mañana.I wake up at 6 a.m.
- Sí, siempre despierto antes del amanecer.Yes, I always wake up before sunrise.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about their morning habits.
- Lucía¿A qué hora te levantas normalmente?What time do you normally get up?
- DanielMe despierto a las siete, pero me quedo en cama.I wake up at seven, but I stay in bed.
- LucíaYo no puedo hacer eso.I can't do that.
- DanielEs la mejor parte de mi día, Lucía.It's the best part of my day, Lucía.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries despierto, me, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
