dar vueltas en la cama
/daɾ bweltas en la kama/from spelling rules
To toss and turn in Spanish is to say dar vueltas en la cama. Wiktionary also lists pasar la noche en duermevela and pasar la noche en dormivela.
Meaning: be unable to settle into a comfortable sleeping position (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| dar vueltas en la cama | /daɾ bweltas en la kama/ (from spelling rules) |
| pasar la noche en duermevela | /pasaɾ la not͡ʃe en dweɾmebela/ (from spelling rules) |
| pasar la noche en dormivela | /pasaɾ la not͡ʃe en doɾmibela/ (from spelling rules) |
| escrucarse | /eskɾukaɾse/ (from spelling rules) |
The phrase dar vueltas en la cama is the most common and natural way to describe the physical act of tossing and turning due to restlessness or insomnia.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase dar vueltas en la cama literally translates to to give turns in the bed, where dar vueltas means to turn or rotate.
Did you know?
- The phrase dar vueltas is so versatile that it is used not only for tossing in bed but also for 'overthinking' a problem or 'going in circles' during a conversation.
- The word duermevela is a portmanteau combining the verbs dormir for 'sleep' and velar for 'stay awake'. It describes the precise state of being half-asleep and half-awake.
Examples in context
- Anoche di vueltas en la cama sin poder dormir.Last night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
- Llevaba toda la noche sin poder conciliar el sueño, dando vueltas en la cama.I spent the whole night tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep.
- No pude dormir porque no paraba de dar vueltas en la cama.I couldn't sleep because I kept tossing and turning in bed.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “toss and turn” translations, 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.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cama, dar, duermevela, en, la, noche, pasar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
