sueños

/SWEN-yohs/

dreams

A sleeping child resting peacefully on a soft blue cloud, with vibrant, abstract shapes and stars gently floating out from their head, representing the stories and images experienced during sleep.

One meaning of sueños is the images and stories you experience while sleeping.

sueños(Noun)

mA2

dreams

the stories and images in your mind while sleeping

Also:

nightmares

specifically when they are bad dreams (malos sueños)

📝 In Action

Anoche tuve sueños muy extraños.

Last night I had very strange dreams.

A veces no recuerdo mis sueños por la mañana.

Sometimes I don't remember my dreams in the morning.

Mi hijo tiene malos sueños después de ver películas de miedo.

My son has bad dreams after watching scary movies.

Word Connections

Synonyms

pesadillas (nightmares)

Common Collocations

tener sueños – to have dreams
dulces sueños – sweet dreams
malos sueños – bad dreams

💡 Grammar Points

Always Masculine

Even though it ends in -os, 'sueños' is a masculine word. Always use masculine words like 'los', 'mis', or 'unos' with it. For example, 'los sueños' (the dreams).

⭐ Usage Tips

Wishing Someone a Good Night

A very common and kind way to say goodnight is '¡Que tengas dulces sueños!' (May you have sweet dreams!), or just '¡Dulces sueños!' for short.

A small figure standing on a grassy hill, looking up eagerly at a large, glittering golden key floating in the bright sky, symbolizing future goals and ambitions.

Sueños also refers to hopes, ambitions, and goals for the future.

sueños(Noun)

mB1

dreams

hopes, ambitions, or goals for the future

Also:

aspirations

a more formal way to say hopes

goals

when talking about specific objectives

📝 In Action

Uno de mis grandes sueños es viajar por todo el mundo.

One of my big dreams is to travel all over the world.

Nunca dejes de luchar por tus sueños.

Never stop fighting for your dreams.

Con mucho esfuerzo, convirtió sus sueños en realidad.

With a lot of effort, she turned her dreams into reality.

Word Connections

Synonyms

metas (goals)
aspiraciones (aspirations)
anhelos (longings)

Common Collocations

perseguir tus sueños – to chase your dreams
cumplir tus sueños – to fulfill/achieve your dreams
el hombre/la mujer de mis sueños – the man/woman of my dreams

Idioms & Expressions

vivir en un mundo de sueños – to be unrealistic or not paying attention to reality

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Noun vs. the Verb

Mistake: "Mis sueños son ser un doctor."

Correction: Mi sueño es ser doctor. OR Sueño con ser doctor. 'Sueños' are the things you hope for, while 'soñar con' is the action of dreaming about something.

⭐ Usage Tips

Inspirational Context

This meaning of 'sueños' is used a lot in motivational quotes, songs, and movies. It carries a very positive and inspiring feeling about achieving your potential.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: sueños

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence uses 'sueños' to talk about ambitions or goals?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

sueño(dream (singular), sleepiness) - noun

soñar(to dream) - verb

soñador / soñadora(dreamer (person)) - noun/adjective

ensueño(daydream, reverie) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'sueño' and 'sueños'?

'Sueños' is just the plural of 'sueño'. You use 'sueño' for one dream ('Tengo un sueño') and 'sueños' for more than one ('Tengo muchos sueños'). Be aware that the singular form 'sueño' can also mean 'sleepiness' or 'sleep' itself, like in the phrase 'Tengo sueño' (I'm sleepy).

How do I say 'nightmare' in Spanish?

The most specific word for 'nightmare' is 'pesadilla'. However, it's also very common and natural to just say 'un mal sueño' (a bad dream) or 'malos sueños' (bad dreams).