despertar
“despertar” means “to wake (someone) up” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to wake (someone) upAlso: to rouse
📝 In Action
Mi alarma me despierta a las seis de la mañana.
A1My alarm wakes me up at six in the morning.
El ruido despertó a todos los vecinos.
A2The noise woke up all the neighbors.
to wake upAlso: to get up
📝 In Action
Me despierto a las siete sin alarma.
A1I wake up at seven without an alarm.
¿A qué hora se despertaron ustedes hoy?
A2What time did you all wake up today?
to arouse, to sparkAlso: to trigger
📝 In Action
La música despertó una vieja nostalgia en ella.
B1The music awoke an old nostalgia in her.
Su discurso despertó gran controversia en la prensa.
B2His speech sparked great controversy in the press.
Word Connections
Indicative
Present
Imperfect
Preterite
Subjunctive
Present Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
🔀 Commonly Confused With
Translate to Spanish
Words that translate to "despertar" in Spanish:
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: despertar
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'despertar' to mean 'I wake up' (referring to myself)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family
📚 Etymology
Comes from the Latin *expergere*, meaning 'to wake up,' specifically through the prefix *ex-* ('out of') and *pergere* ('to rouse'). It has been used in Spanish since the Middle Ages, maintaining its core meaning of moving from sleep to alertness.
First recorded: c. 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'despertar' and 'levantarse'?
'Despertar' (or 'despertarse') means to transition from being asleep to being awake. 'Levantarse' means to transition from lying down (in bed) to standing up. You can wake up (despertarse) and stay in bed for an hour before getting up (levantarse).
Is 'despertar' a difficult verb to conjugate?
It's considered slightly irregular because the vowel 'e' changes to 'ie' in many forms (like 'despierto'), but it's very predictable once you learn the pattern. The change only happens when that syllable is stressed.