Spanish word of the week: sueño

This week’s Spanish word of the week is sueño NOUN sleep; dream

Hamlet said, ‘To sleep: perchance to dream…’. In Spanish the connection between the two is so intimate that the same word – sueño – covers both.

un sueño profundo a deep sleep
el sueño americano the American dream

You need to be a bit careful when using this word with the verb tener. The meaning changes according to whether you use the article or not.

Tenía mucho sueño. I was very sleepy.
Anoche tuve un mal sueño Last night I had a bad dream.

When used with conciliar it means to get to sleep.

No podía conciliar el sueño. I couldn’t get to sleep.

It’s also used in the same way as English, to talk about your ambitions and wishes.

Su sueño era llegar a ser científica. Her dream was to become a scientist.

Come back next week for a new word, and expand your Spanish vocabulary!