desperté
“desperté” means “I woke up” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
I woke up
Also: I started
📝 In Action
Desperté con el sonido de la lluvia.
A1I woke up with the sound of the rain.
Esta mañana, desperté muy temprano.
A1This morning, I woke up very early.
De repente, desperté y no sabía dónde estaba.
A2Suddenly, I woke up and didn't know where I was.
I woke up (someone)
Also: I aroused, I awakened
📝 In Action
Desperté a la niña porque era hora de irse.
B1I woke the girl up because it was time to leave.
Con mi discurso, desperté el interés de la audiencia.
B2With my speech, I aroused the audience's interest.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: desperté
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'desperté' to mean 'I woke someone else up'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'despertar' comes from the Latin prefix 'dis-' (meaning separation or reversal) combined with 'expergitare' (to rouse or wake up). It has been used in Spanish since the Middle Ages.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'desperté' and 'me desperté'?
Both essentially mean 'I woke up.' 'Me desperté' uses the reflexive pronoun 'me,' clearly indicating that the action returned to you ('I woke myself up'). 'Desperté' (without 'me') is the basic form, often used when the waking was caused by an external factor (like a noise) or simply stating the time you woke up. They are very often interchangeable in casual speech, but 'me desperté' is technically more precise for self-waking.