despertar
/despeɾˈtaɾ/
Waking up in Spanish is translated as despertar.
The term refers to the act of stopping sleeping and becoming awake. In common usage, the reflexive form despertarse is the most common and general way to say 'to wake up'. If you are referring to the act of waking up or the awakening itself as a noun, you can use el despertar.
Which one should you use?
The distinction between forms depends on whether the action is being done to oneself or to someone else. The transitive form despertar is used when you are waking someone else up, whereas the reflexive form despertarse is used when you are waking up yourself. Additionally, the phrase despertarse refers to the transition from sleep to consciousness, while levantarse refers to the physical act of getting out of bed.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the act of waking oneself up, use the reflexive verb despertarse. If you want to express the continuous action of waking up, use the gerund form despertando, such as in the phrase Estoy despertando.
How do you pronounce it?
/despeɾˈtaɾ/
Did you know?
- While despertar means 'to wake up', the word despierto is also used to describe someone who is clever, alert or sharp-witted.
- The Spanish verb despertar is a cognate with the Walloon word dispierter, showing a linguistic link between Spanish and a regional language of Belgium.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, a person may say me he despertado to mean they have regained consciousness after a fainting spell or a coma, not just after a night of sleep.
Examples in context
- Le cuesta despertarse a tiempo.He has trouble waking up on time.This sentence shows how to use despertar regarding the difficulty of waking up on time.Tatoeba #2216608 by Shishir, translation #2097915 by Hybrid
- Despertar es el opuesto a ir a dormir.Waking up is the opposite of going to sleep.This sentence uses despertar to define the concept as the opposite of going to sleep.Tatoeba #1208976 by marcelostockle, translation #479966 by kblakes
- ¿Por qué te levantas antes de despertar?Why do you get up before waking up?This sentence uses despertar to distinguish between getting up and the state of waking up.Tatoeba #2741923 by marcelostockle, translation #2735545 by fekundulo
- Me despierto todas las mañanas a las 7 am.I wake up every morning at 7 am.
- Me levanto y me preparo para el día.I get up and get ready for the day.
- Los niños se levantan temprano para desayunar.The children get up early to have breakfast.
- El despertar es un momento importante del día.The awakening is an important moment of the day.
- Al abrir los ojos, me di cuenta de que era un sueño.When I woke up, I realized it was a dream.
- Abre los ojos, ya estamos aquí.Wake up, we're already here.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are talking about their morning routines.
- AlejandroMe gusta despertar lentamente los domingos.I like waking up slowly on Sundays.
- LucíaYo prefiero despertar rápido para aprovechar el día.I prefer waking up quickly to make the most of the day.
- AlejandroA veces es difícil despertar con frío.Sometimes it is hard waking up when it is cold.
- LucíaEs verdad, Lucía prefiere usar una alarma fuerte.That is true, Lucía prefers using a loud alarm.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry despertar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries despertar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
