Inklingo

How to Say "awaken" in Spanish

The Spanish word forawakenis despierteB1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishB1
VerbB1
less common synonym for 'wake up'
A person with messy hair is sitting up in a bright, cozy bed, stretching their arms wide toward the ceiling, having just woken up.

Examples

Señor, despierte, ya es mediodía.

Sir, wake up, it's already noon.

Espero que mi hijo despierte con buen ánimo mañana.

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

Necesito que su creatividad despierte para el proyecto.

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

Formal Command

When giving a polite, formal instruction to someone you address as 'Usted', you use the 'despierte' form. This is the same form as the subjunctive.

The Special Subjunctive Form

'Despierte' is a special verb form (the present subjunctive) used when you express wishes, doubts, emotions, or necessities about someone else's actions, often after words like 'espero que' (I hope that) or 'necesito que' (I need that).

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake:Using *desperte* instead of *despierte*.

Correction: The verb *despertar* changes its 'e' to 'ie' in almost all forms except for the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms. Remember the pattern: E -> IE.

Confusing Command Levels

Mistake:Using 'despierte' for a casual friend (Tú).

Correction: Use 'despierta' for friends and family (Tú command). Use 'despierte' only for formal situations (Usted command).

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.