¡despierta!
Wordform Details
Translation: wake up
Part of Speech: verb
Inflection Type:
imperativesecond-personsingularIs Dictionary Form: No
Dictionary Form Details
Lemma Details
Translation: to wake up; to awaken; to arouse; to stir; to rouse; to evoke; to trigger
Part of Speech: verb
Etymology: Despertar comes from Latin 'de-' (indicating intensity or completeness) + 'experrectus' (awakened), from 'expergisci' (to wake up). It's related to English words like 'experience' and 'expert', which share the Latin root 'experiri' meaning 'to try'. The connection lies in the idea of becoming conscious or aware, whether from sleep or through gaining knowledge.
Commonality: 90%
Guessability: 30%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Me despierto a las siete todos los días.
I wake up at seven every day.
La música despertó emociones olvidadas en mí.
The music awakened forgotten emotions in me.
Su discurso despertó el interés del público.
His speech aroused the public's interest.
El ruido me despertó en medio de la noche.
The noise woke me up in the middle of the night.
Esta película despierta la conciencia social.
This movie raises social awareness.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'despertar' as 'de-spirit' - when you wake up, your spirit becomes active again.
- Connect it with 'desperate' - sometimes you're desperate to wake up when you hear your alarm.
- The 'des' prefix often indicates reversal in Spanish - here it's reversing the state of sleep.
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Example Wordforms
Cultural Context
In Spanish culture, 'despertar' extends beyond physical awakening to metaphorical awakenings of consciousness, social movements, or spiritual enlightenment. The concept appears frequently in literature and poetry to symbolize transformation or revelation.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'despertar' means 'to wake up', 'esperar' means 'to wait' or 'to hope'. They look similar but have completely different meanings.
Confused word:
Espero que llegues pronto.
I hope you arrive soon.
Notes: The prefix 'des-' in 'despertar' is key to distinguishing it from 'esperar'.
Mnemonic: Remember: 'despertar' has 'des' (indicating change) + 'pertar', while 'esperar' has 'es' + 'perar' (related to hope).
Explanation: 'Despertar' means 'to wake up', while 'despistar' means 'to mislead' or 'to throw off track'.
Confused word:
El detective intentó despistar a los sospechosos.
The detective tried to mislead the suspects.
Notes: Both start with 'des-' but have completely different meanings and contexts.
Mnemonic: 'Despistar' contains 'pista' (track/clue), so it's about leading away from the track.