Phrase · 🧩 Idioms in everyday speech
No me contestes ahora; consúltalo con la almohada.
Don't answer me now; sleep on it.
C2giving someone timeinformalAudio · coming soon
Why every word is where it is
No3adverbdon'tmeobject pronounmeyo · 1st sing. · indirect objectcontestes3verbanswercontestar · subjunctive · present · 2nd sing.ahoraadverbnow;consúltalo3verbconsult itconsultar · imperative · 2nd sing.con1prepositionwithla1determinertheel · fem. · sing. · definitealmohada2nounpillowfem. · sing..
- consúltalo → almohada: consultar con la almohada: sleep on it
- No → contestes: no + subjunctive: negative imperative
- me → contestes: me: to me
Word for word: “Don't answer me now; consult it with the pillow.”
Why it's built this way
The notes match the numbers above.
- 1consultar algo con la almohada = to sleep on it, decide after a night's rest (lit. consult it with the pillow).
- 2almohada = pillow; a cushion is cojín.
- 3Negative imperative = subjunctive (no me contestes); affirmative = pronoun attached, with an accent: consúltalo. Negative imperative and imperative with pronouns →
Variations
- No me contestes ahora; piénsalo con calma.
- No me respondas ahora; consúltalo con la almohada.
- No decidas ahora; consúltalo con la almohada y mañana hablamos.