duerme bien
/dweɾme bjen/from spelling rules
To say "sleep well" in Spanish, you use duerme bien.
The phrase is used to wish someone a good night's sleep.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative form of the verb dormir (to sleep) and the adverb bien (well).
Which one should you use?
Duerme bien uses the informal tú command, whereas duerma bien uses the formal usted command.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and some other Latin American countries, the expression ¡Descansa a gusto! is commonly used to mean "Rest well!"
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are addressing a person you call usted, use the form duerma bien. To wish a group of people a good sleep, use duerman bien.
When do people say it?
When addressing children, it is common to say ¡Que sueñes con los angelitos!, which means "May you dream of little angels!" You may also use the informal phrase Que tengas dulces sueños to say "May you have sweet dreams".
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, wishing someone to 'sleep well' is closely tied to the concept of el sueño, which can mean both the act of sleeping and the specific dreams one has.
- The word bien in duerme bien shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'bonus', as both evolved from the Proto-Italic root *dwenos meaning 'good'.
- While duerme bien is used for sleep, if someone is taking a short nap, a Spanish speaker might say toma una siesta, referencing the famous midday nap custom.
Examples in context
- Duerme bien y vivirás más.Sleep well and you will live longer.This sentence shows the use of duerme bien in a context linking sleep to health.Tatoeba #6612089 by arh, translation #9004204 by helloroto
- Duerme bien y vivirás mejor.Sleep well and you'll live a better life.This sentence shows the use of duerme bien in a context linking sleep to a better life.Tatoeba #6612088 by arh, translation #9483507 by DJ_Saidez
- Querido Sr. Gómez, gracias por todo su arduo trabajo. Que duerma bien esta noche.Dear Mr. Gómez, thank you for all your hard work. May you sleep well tonight.
- Estimada Sra. Martínez, le deseo que descanse bien esta noche.Dear Mrs. Martínez, I wish you rest well tonight.
- ¡Duerme bien, mi amor!Sleep well, my love!
- ¡Que tengas dulces sueños, amigo mío!May you have sweet dreams, my friend!
- Duerme bien, te veo mañana.Sleep well, I will see you tomorrow.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are saying goodnight before going to their rooms.
- MateoYa es tarde, me voy a acostar.It is late, I am going to bed.
- SofíaYo también. Buenas noches, Mateo.Me too. Goodnight, Mateo.
- MateoBuenas noches, Sofía. Duerme bien.Goodnight, Sofía. Sleep well.
- SofíaGracias, tú también.Thanks, you too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
