recordar
/rekoɾˈdaɾ/
The English phrase 'wake up' can be translated into Spanish using despertar or recordar.
Meaning: to (become) awake (verb)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| recordar | /rekoɾˈdaɾ/ |
| despertar | /despeɾˈtaɾ/ |
The verb used to express becoming awake is despertar. This describes the specific moment a person stops sleeping and transitions to being awake. It is distinct from the act of physically getting out of bed.
Which one should you use?
While despertar refers to the moment you stop sleeping, the verb levantarse is used to describe the physical act of getting up from your bed.
How does it change in a sentence?
When describing the act of waking yourself up, you must use the reflexive form despertarse rather than just despertar. If you are waking someone else up, use the transitive form despertar a alguien without a reflexive pronoun.
How do you pronounce it?
/rekoɾˈdaɾ/
When do people say it?
If you wish to ask for a wake-up call in a hotel, you can say ¿Puede despertarme a las 7 de la mañana, por favor?
Did you know?
- The Spanish word recordar meaning 'to remember' comes from the Latin word cor meaning 'heart', suggesting that memory was once viewed as something held in the heart.
- In some contexts, the word despierto can be used as an adjective to describe someone who is not just awake, but alert, quick-witted and intelligent.
- While despertar means 'to wake up', it is often used in the phrase despertar el interés to mean 'to spark' or 'to arouse' someone's interest in a topic.
Examples in context
- No pude despertar a Tom.I couldn't get Tom to wake up.This sentence shows how to use despertar to describe waking someone else up.Tatoeba #2857530 by Besatnias, translation #2308230 by CK
- Debo despertarme a las 6:30.I have to wake up at 6:30.This sentence demonstrates using the reflexive form of despertar to talk about waking oneself up.Tatoeba #4398387 by bax_je, translation #4398722 by XenoKat
- Suelo despertarme a las seis.I usually wake up at 6.This sentence shows the reflexive use of despertar for a habitual action.Tatoeba #1784856 by Shishir, translation #2658402 by WestofEden
- ¡Despiértate! Tenemos mucho por hacer hoy.Wake up! We have a lot to do today.
- Levántate temprano y aprovecha el día al máximo.Wake up early and make the most of the day.
- ¡Buenos días! ¿Ya estás despierto?Good morning! Are you already awake?
- ¡Despiértate, tenemos que llegar temprano al aeropuerto!Wake up, we have to get to the airport early!
- Descuida, ya estoy despierto. ¿A qué hora nos vamos?Don't worry, I'm already awake. What time are we leaving?
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wake up” translations and entries recordar, despertar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries despertar, recordar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
