siesta

See also: siestă and šiesta

English

WOTD – 24 March 2012

Etymology

From Spanish siesta, from Latin sexta (“the sixth hour from dawn, noon, midday”). Doublet of sext.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /siˈɛstə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /siˈɛstə/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛstə

Noun

siesta (plural siestas)

1. A nap, especially an afternoon one taken after lunch in some cultures.
   • 1946, Mervyn Peake, Titus Groan, London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, →OCLC:

     One humid afternoon a visitor did arrive to disturb Rottcodd as he lay deeply hammocked, for his siesta was broken sharply by a rattling of the door handle […]

2. (attributive, sometimes offensive) Laid-back attitudes to work or laziness, especially by a Hispanic person.
   • 2001 February 1, Stanley E. Porter, Michael A. Hayes, David Tombs, Faith in the Millennium, A&C Black, →ISBN, page 21:

     Lest we think all of this is due to the proverbial inefficiency of the Latin American - 'siesta people' - we can see some of these signs, perhaps in a less dramatic way, in European societies and in the celebrated 'tigers' of South East Asia.

   • 2010 February 22, Hughes Oliphant Old, The Reading and Preaching of the Scriptures in the Worship of the Christian Church, Vol. 7: Our Own Time, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, →ISBN, page 238:

     I had eaten a simple lunch, and in the relaxed siesta attitude that pervaded the place I settled back in my chair and looked at the mountains behind in all their austerity.

   • 2021 April 14, Michael J. Strada, Through the Global Lens: An Introduction to Social Sciences, Routledge, →ISBN:

     Many observers believe the subtropical environment contributes to a slow-paced, siesta culture in which nothing work-related is so important that it cannot wait until tomorrow.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:shut-eye
• (Laid-back attitude): mañana

Translations

an afternoon nap

• Arabic: قَيْلُولَة f (qaylūla)
• Armenian: հետճաշյա հանգիստ (hetčašya hangist), սիեստա (hy) (siesta)
• Catalan: sesta (ca) f, migdiada (ca) f, becada (ca) f
• Cebuano: syista
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 午睡 (zh) (wǔshuì), 午休 (zh) (wǔxiū), 午覺 / 午觉 (zh) (wǔjiào)

• Esperanto: siesto
• Finnish: siesta (fi), iltapäivätorkut pl, tupluuri
• French: sieste (fr) f
• German: Mittagsruhe (de) f, Siesta (de) f, Mittagsschlaf (de) m
• Greek: σιέστα (el) f (siésta)
• Gujarati: ઝોકું n (jhokum, literally “nap”) (informal)
• Hebrew: שנ"צ (ShNaTz)
• Hungarian: szieszta (hu)
• Ido: siesto (io)
• Indonesian: siesta
• Italian: siesta (it) f, pennichella (it) f
• Japanese: 昼寝 (ja) (ひるね, hirune), 午睡 (ja) (ごすい, gosui), シエスタ (shiesuta)
• Latin: merīdiātiō f
• Macedonian: пла́дневна по́чинка f (pládnevna póčinka)
• Maori: moe ahiahi
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: siesta m, middagshvil m, middagskvil m or f

  Nynorsk: siesta m, middagskvil m, middagskvild f

• Polish: poobiednia drzemka f
• Portuguese: sesta (pt) f, siesta (pt) f
• Russian: послеобеде́нный о́тдых m (posleobedénnyj ótdyx), сие́ста (ru) f (sijésta), (usually for children, especially in childcare) мёртвый час m (mjórtvyj čas), ти́хий час (ru) m (tíxij čas)
• Spanish: siesta (es) f
• Swedish: siesta (sv) c
• Tagalog: siyesta
• Vietnamese: ngủ trưa

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} మధ్యాహ్న నిద్ర (madhyāhna nidra)

Verb

siesta (third-person singular simple present siestas, present participle siestaing, simple past and past participle siestaed)

1. (intransitive) to take a siesta; to nap.

   Synonym: siest

Anagrams

• staies, tassie, Tassie, tesias

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish siesta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsie̯stɑ/, [ˈs̠ie̞̯s̠tɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -iestɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): sies‧ta

Noun

siesta

1. siesta

Declension

Inflection of siesta (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		siesta	siestat
genitive		siestan	siestojen
partitive		siestaa	siestoja
illative		siestaan	siestoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		siesta	siestat
accusative	nom.	siesta	siestat
	gen.	siestan
genitive		siestan	siestojen siestain rare
partitive		siestaa	siestoja
inessive		siestassa	siestoissa
elative		siestasta	siestoista
illative		siestaan	siestoihin
adessive		siestalla	siestoilla
ablative		siestalta	siestoilta
allative		siestalle	siestoille
essive		siestana	siestoina
translative		siestaksi	siestoiksi
abessive		siestatta	siestoitta
instructive		—	siestoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of siesta (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative siestani siestani accusative nom. siestani siestani gen. siestani genitive siestani siestojeni siestaini rare partitive siestaani siestojani inessive siestassani siestoissani elative siestastani siestoistani illative siestaani siestoihini adessive siestallani siestoillani ablative siestaltani siestoiltani allative siestalleni siestoilleni essive siestanani siestoinani translative siestakseni siestoikseni abessive siestattani siestoittani instructive — — comitative — siestoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative siestasi siestasi accusative nom. siestasi siestasi gen. siestasi genitive siestasi siestojesi siestaisi rare partitive siestaasi siestojasi inessive siestassasi siestoissasi elative siestastasi siestoistasi illative siestaasi siestoihisi adessive siestallasi siestoillasi ablative siestaltasi siestoiltasi allative siestallesi siestoillesi essive siestanasi siestoinasi translative siestaksesi siestoiksesi abessive siestattasi siestoittasi instructive — — comitative — siestoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative siestamme siestamme accusative nom. siestamme siestamme gen. siestamme genitive siestamme siestojemme siestaimme rare partitive siestaamme siestojamme inessive siestassamme siestoissamme elative siestastamme siestoistamme illative siestaamme siestoihimme adessive siestallamme siestoillamme ablative siestaltamme siestoiltamme allative siestallemme siestoillemme essive siestanamme siestoinamme translative siestaksemme siestoiksemme abessive siestattamme siestoittamme instructive — — comitative — siestoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative siestanne siestanne accusative nom. siestanne siestanne gen. siestanne genitive siestanne siestojenne siestainne rare partitive siestaanne siestojanne inessive siestassanne siestoissanne elative siestastanne siestoistanne illative siestaanne siestoihinne adessive siestallanne siestoillanne ablative siestaltanne siestoiltanne allative siestallenne siestoillenne essive siestananne siestoinanne translative siestaksenne siestoiksenne abessive siestattanne siestoittanne instructive — — comitative — siestoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative siestansa siestansa accusative nom. siestansa siestansa gen. siestansa genitive siestansa siestojensa siestainsa rare partitive siestaansa siestojaan siestojansa inessive siestassaan siestassansa siestoissaan siestoissansa elative siestastaan siestastansa siestoistaan siestoistansa illative siestaansa siestoihinsa adessive siestallaan siestallansa siestoillaan siestoillansa ablative siestaltaan siestaltansa siestoiltaan siestoiltansa allative siestalleen siestallensa siestoilleen siestoillensa essive siestanaan siestanansa siestoinaan siestoinansa translative siestakseen siestaksensa siestoikseen siestoiksensa abessive siestattaan siestattansa siestoittaan siestoittansa instructive — — comitative — siestoineen siestoinensa

Further reading

• “siesta”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2023-07-03

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish siesta (“siesta, nap”), from Latin sexta (hora) (“sixth hour, noon”), feminine of sextus (“sixth”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /si.ˈɛs.ta/
• Rhymes: -ta
• Hyphenation: si‧ès‧ta

Noun

sièsta (plural siesta-siesta)

1. siesta: (afternoon) nap.

Further reading

• “siesta” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish siesta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsjɛ.sta/
• Rhymes: -ɛsta
• Hyphenation: siè‧sta

Noun

siesta f (invariable)

1. siesta (brief afternoon nap)

Further reading

• siesta in Collins Italian-English Dictionary
• siesta in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
• siesta in Aldo Gabrielli, Grandi Dizionario Italiano (Hoepli)
• siesta in garzantilinguistica.it – Garzanti Linguistica, De Agostini Scuola Spa
• siesta in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
• siesta in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Anagrams

• asseti, esista, estasi, issate

Romansch

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish siesta.

Noun

siesta f (plural siestas)

1. (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan) nap

Synonyms

• (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan) durmida
• (Rumantsch Grischun, Sursilvan, Sutsilvan, Puter, Vallader) cupid
• (Sursilvan) tut
• (Sutsilvan) sien
• (Surmiran) cupidada, durmeidetta, cuc
• (Puter, Vallader) sönin
• (Vallader) sönet

Spanish

La siesta.

Etymology

From Latin sexta (hora) (“sixth hour, noon”), feminine of sextus (“sixth”). Doublet of sexto and sesma. Cognate with Portuguese and Catalan sesta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsjesta/ [ˈsjes.t̪a]
• Rhymes: -esta
• Syllabification: sies‧ta

Noun

siesta f (plural siestas)

1. siesta, nap

   Antonym: duermevela

Derived terms

• siestecita
• tomar una siesta

 

Related terms

• sexto

 

Descendants

• → Armenian: սիեստա (siesta)
• → Cebuano: syista
• → English: siesta
• → Finnish: siesta
• → French: sieste
• → German: Siesta
• → Greek: σιέστα (siésta)
• → Hungarian: szieszta
• → Italian: siesta
• → Japanese: シエスタ (shiesuta)
• → Norwegian: siesta
• → Romansch: siesta
• → Russian: сие́ста (sijésta)
• → Swedish: siesta
• → Tagalog: siyesta
• → Turkish: siesta

Further reading

• “siesta”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10