B1 Collocation Neutral 3 min de lectura

spend the night

يبيت

Use this phrase to describe staying somewhere until morning, whether for fun, travel, or safety.

En 15 segundos

  • Staying at a location other than home until the morning.
  • Commonly used for hotels, friend's houses, or travel stops.
  • Neutral tone suitable for both casual and semi-formal talk.

Significado

This phrase means staying at a place until the next morning. It usually implies sleeping at a friend's house, a hotel, or even a hospital.

Ejemplos clave

3 de 6
1

Planning with a friend

You should just spend the night here instead of driving home late.

You should just spend the night here instead of driving home late.

🤝
2

Booking a hotel

We decided to spend the night in a small boutique hotel by the coast.

We decided to spend the night in a small boutique hotel by the coast.

😊
3

Asking a parent for permission

Mom, can Sarah spend the night on Friday?

Mom, can Sarah spend the night on Friday?

😊
🌍

Contexto cultural

The phrase is deeply tied to the concept of the 'sleepover' in American and British youth culture, representing a key social bonding activity. In adult contexts, offering someone a place to 'spend the night' is a standard gesture of hospitality, especially after a party or long travel. It shifted from a literal description to a social invitation over the last century.

💡

The 'Stay' Alternative

You can use 'stay the night' and 'spend the night' interchangeably. 'Stay' feels slightly more common in British English, while 'Spend' is very popular in American English.

⚠️

Romantic Undertones

If you say 'I want to spend the night with you' to someone you are dating, it usually implies intimacy. Use 'at your place' to keep it more neutral.

En 15 segundos

  • Staying at a location other than home until the morning.
  • Commonly used for hotels, friend's houses, or travel stops.
  • Neutral tone suitable for both casual and semi-formal talk.

What It Means

Spend the night is a very common way to say you are sleeping somewhere that isn't your own bed. It covers the entire time from evening until you wake up. It’s not just about the act of sleeping. It includes the whole experience of being a guest. You might watch a movie, have dinner, and then finally go to sleep.

How To Use It

You use it as a standard verb phrase. You can say I'm going to spend the night or ask Can I spend the night?. It works perfectly with time markers. For example, I spent the night at my cousin's house last Friday. It is flexible and fits into almost any sentence structure. Just remember to change spend to spent for the past tense.

When To Use It

Use this when you are planning a sleepover with friends. It is also the standard phrase for staying in a hotel. If you are traveling and need a place to crash, this is your go-to expression. It’s great for logistics. Use it when talking to parents, friends, or even a receptionist. It sounds natural and clear in almost every daily scenario.

When NOT To Use It

Don't use it if you are just taking a short nap. If you leave at 2:00 AM, you didn't really spend the night. Also, be careful with the context of a romantic interest. While usually innocent, saying I want to spend the night with you can sound very suggestive. In a strictly professional meeting, use stay overnight instead. It sounds slightly more formal and business-like.

Cultural Background

In Western culture, spending the night is a rite of passage for kids. We call these 'sleepovers' or 'slumber parties'. It’s all about bonding, eating junk food, and staying up late. For adults, it’s often about convenience or safety. If you’ve had a few drinks, a friend will insist you spend the night on their couch. It’s a sign of hospitality and caring for someone’s well-being.

Common Variations

You might hear people say stay the night which is almost identical. Kids often say have a sleepover. If it’s unplanned, you might hear crash at my place. If you are at a hotel, you might say staying for the night. All of these circle back to the same idea of not going home until the sun comes up.

Notas de uso

The phrase is neutral and safe for most situations. Just be mindful of the past tense 'spent' and avoid using it in highly romantic contexts unless that is your intention.

💡

The 'Stay' Alternative

You can use 'stay the night' and 'spend the night' interchangeably. 'Stay' feels slightly more common in British English, while 'Spend' is very popular in American English.

⚠️

Romantic Undertones

If you say 'I want to spend the night with you' to someone you are dating, it usually implies intimacy. Use 'at your place' to keep it more neutral.

💬

The 'Crash' Factor

Among close friends, people often say 'crash' (e.g., 'Can I crash here?'). It's the slang version of spending the night when you are exhausted or it's unplanned.

Ejemplos

6
#1 Planning with a friend
🤝

You should just spend the night here instead of driving home late.

You should just spend the night here instead of driving home late.

A common way to offer hospitality for safety.

#2 Booking a hotel
😊

We decided to spend the night in a small boutique hotel by the coast.

We decided to spend the night in a small boutique hotel by the coast.

Used here to describe travel arrangements.

#3 Asking a parent for permission
😊

Mom, can Sarah spend the night on Friday?

Mom, can Sarah spend the night on Friday?

Classic 'sleepover' context for children/teens.

#4 Explaining a delay to a boss
💼

Because of the storm, I had to spend the night at the airport.

Because of the storm, I had to spend the night at the airport.

Explaining a situation professionally but naturally.

#5 A humorous complaint
😄

I spent the night on the floor because the guest bed was full of laundry!

I spent the night on the floor because the guest bed was full of laundry!

Using the phrase to highlight a funny, uncomfortable situation.

#6 In a hospital setting
💭

The doctor wants me to spend the night for observation.

The doctor wants me to spend the night for observation.

Used in a serious medical context.

Ponte a prueba

Choose the correct form of the verb to complete the sentence.

It was so late that I ___ the night at my brother's apartment.

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: spent

The past tense of 'spend' is 'spent'.

Complete the question naturally.

Would you like to ___ the night, or do you want to head home now?

✓ ¡Correcto! ✗ No del todo. Respuesta correcta: spend

'Spend the night' is the standard collocation for staying until morning.

🎉 Puntuación: /2

Ayudas visuales

Formality of 'Spend the Night'

Informal

Crashing at a friend's place.

Wanna crash here?

Neutral

Standard daily conversation.

I'll spend the night at a hotel.

Formal

Professional or medical contexts.

He will remain overnight for observation.

When to say 'Spend the Night'

Spend the Night
🏨

At a Hotel

We spent the night in Paris.

🚗

Safety

Don't drive tired, spend the night!

🎈

Childhood

Can my friend spend the night?

🏥

Emergency

I spent the night at the hospital.

Preguntas frecuentes

10 preguntas

Usually, yes. It implies you are staying until morning, which generally includes sleeping, though you might be awake talking or watching movies.

There is almost no difference. Both are correct and natural. Stay the night is perhaps a tiny bit more common in casual UK English.

Yes, it is fine for business. For example, I'll spend the night in Chicago before the meeting.

It is better to use it with people you know or in service contexts like hotels. With strangers, it might sound a bit too personal.

Yes! Spend the day means staying somewhere for the daylight hours. For example, We spent the day at the beach.

Yes, 'spend' is an irregular verb. You must use spent for anything that happened in the past.

It can, but adults use it just as much for hotels, travel, or staying at a friend's house after a long dinner.

It depends on how close you are. With a good friend, it's fine. With an acquaintance, it might be a bit much unless there is an emergency.

Usually, we don't use 'spend the night' then. You would just say I stayed until late or I left in the middle of the night.

Definitely. We spent the night under the stars is a very common and poetic way to describe camping.

Frases relacionadas

Stay overnight

A slightly more formal way to say the same thing.

Sleep over

Specifically used for kids or very casual friends.

Crash at someone's place

Slang for staying the night, usually unplanned.

Put someone up

To provide a place for someone to spend the night.

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