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despierte

des-pyer-te/desˈpjeɾte/

“despierte” means “wake up” in Spanish (as a formal command (Usted)).

wake up, may I wake up, may he/she/it wake up

Also: arouse, awaken
VerbB1irregular (stem-changing e > ie) ar
Mexico
A person with messy hair is sitting up in a bright, cozy bed, stretching their arms wide toward the ceiling, having just woken up.
infinitivedespertar
gerunddespertando
past Participledespertado

📝 In Action

Señor, despierte, ya es mediodía.

A2

Sir, wake up, it's already noon.

Espero que mi hijo despierte con buen ánimo mañana.

B1

I hope my son wakes up in a good mood tomorrow.

Necesito que su creatividad despierte para el proyecto.

B2

I need his/her creativity to awaken for the project.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • que despierte el interés – that it awakens interest
  • antes de que despierte – before he/she wakes up

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/usteddespierta
yodespierto
túdespiertas
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespiertan
nosotrosdespertamos
vosotrosdespertáis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddespertaba
yodespertaba
túdespertabas
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespertaban
nosotrosdespertábamos
vosotrosdespertabais

preterite

él/ella/usteddespertó
yodesperté
túdespertaste
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespertaron
nosotrosdespertamos
vosotrosdespertasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/usteddespierte
yodespierte
túdespiertes
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespierten
nosotrosdespertemos
vosotrosdespertéis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddespertara/despertase
yodespertara/despertase
túdespertaras/despertases
ellos/ellas/ustedesdespertaran/despertasen
nosotrosdespertáramos/despertásemos
vosotrosdespertarais/despertaseis
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "despierte" in Spanish:

arouse→awaken→wake up→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: despierte

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'despierte' as a formal command?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
muertevierte
📚 Etymology▼

The Spanish verb *despertar* comes from the Latin verb *expergisci* (to wake up) combined with the prefix *des-* (which often means 'un-' or 'reverse the action'). The original meaning was simply the opposite of sleeping.

First recorded: Around the 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: despertarCatalan: despertar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'despierte' always used for waking someone up?

Not always! While it literally means 'wake up,' it can also be used figuratively, like 'que despierte la pasión' (that passion awakens), meaning to inspire or arouse a feeling or idea.

What is the difference between 'despierte' and 'despierta'?

'Despierte' is the polite, formal command (Usted) or the special subjunctive form. 'Despierta' is the casual command (Tú) used for friends and family.