incorporarse
/inkoɾpoɾaɾse/from spelling rules
The English phrase "sit up" is translated into Spanish as incorporarse.
The verb incorporarse is used to describe the physical action of rising from a lying or reclining position into a sitting position.
Meaning: to rise to a sitting position (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
incorporarse is a reflexive verb, which means it must be used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) to show that the subject is performing the action on themselves. For example, to say "he/she sat up" in the third person singular past tense, you would say se incorporó, using the reflexive pronoun se.
How do you pronounce it?
/inkoɾpoɾaɾse/
Did you know?
- If you use the verb in a legal sense, it can refer to the process of 'incorporating' a business, making it a formal legal entity.
- The root of incorporarse is the Latin 'corpus' for 'body'. The phrase literally describes the act of making one's 'body' whole or upright again.
- In Spanish, if you want to tell someone to 'sit up straight' (correcting their posture), you would use the phrase ponerse derecho rather than incorporarse.
Examples in context
- Cuando estás en clase, ponte derecho para prestar atención.When you're in class, sit up straight to pay attention.
- Se incorporó en la cama.He/she sat up in bed.
- Ella intentó incorporarse en la cama.She tried to sit up in bed.
- El paciente puede incorporarse poco a poco.The patient can sit up little by little.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry incorporarse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
