Deitar-se (To Lie Down, Go to Bed)

This verb is reflexive. In the world of Portuguese grammar, reflexive verbs are like a mirror. The person doing the action is also the one receiving it. If you use deitar without the reflexive pronoun, you are laying something else down. For example, you might deitar o livro (lay the book down) on a table. But if you are the one hitting the hay, you must include a pronoun like me, te, se, or nos. In Brazil, you will almost always hear these pronouns *before* the verb. In Portugal, they love to stick them at the end with a little hyphen. Yes, even native speakers get a bit lazy with this sometimes in casual talk. However, for your A2 level, getting these right will make you sound incredibly polished. It’s the difference between sounding like a tourist and sounding like someone who actually lives there.

1. 1Building a sentence with deitar-se is a simple three-step process.
2. 2Identify the Subject: Who is lying down? Is it you, your friend, or all of us?
3. 3Pick the Pronoun: This must match your subject.
4. 4Eu → me
5. 5Tu → te
6. 6Ele/Ela/Você → se
7. 7Nós → nos
8. 8Eles/Elas/Vocês → se
9. 9Conjugate the Verb: Since it’s a regular -ar verb, you just drop the -ar and add the endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -am.
10. 10Let's see it in action for the present tense (Brazilian style):
11. 11Eu me deito (I lie down)
12. 12Você se deita (You lie down)
13. 13Nós nos deitamos (We lie down)
14. 14Notice how nós nos sounds like a little song? That's the rhythm of reflexive Portuguese. If you are in Lisbon, just flip it: Deito-me, Deita-se, Deitamo-nos. (Note: in Deitamo-nos, we drop the 's' from the verb ending to make it slide off the tongue easier). It’s like a grammar traffic light—green means go ahead and conjugate, but red means stop and check your pronoun!

You will use deitar-se whenever there is a physical change from being upright to being horizontal. Here are some real-world moments:

• At a Hotel: When the receptionist asks if everything is okay, you might say, O quarto é ótimo, vou me deitar agora (The room is great, I’m going to lie down now).
• Feeling Sick: If you are at a job interview and the stress gets too high (we've all been there!), you might tell the assistant, Não me sinto bem, preciso me deitar (I don't feel well, I need to lie down).
• Beach Vibes: Talking to a friend about your weekend? Nós nos deitamos na areia e dormimos (We lay down on the sand and slept).
• Daily Routine: Sempre me deito às onze horas (I always go to bed at eleven).

It is the physical act of getting into position. Think of it as the transition phase of your sleep cycle.

This is where things get tricky. Do not use the reflexive se if you are moving an object. If you are putting your phone on the nightstand, use deitar alone: Eu deito o telemóvel na mesa.

Also, a very common mistake for English speakers is using deitar-se when they actually mean dormir (to sleep).

• Deitar-se = The movement of lying down.
• Dormir = The state of being unconscious/asleep.

If you say Eu me deito por oito horas, people will think you just spent eight hours staring at the ceiling in a horizontal position. If you actually slept, use Eu durmo por oito horas. Also, avoid using it for "lying" in the sense of telling a fib. For that, you need the verb mentir. Portuguese is very literal about its physical movements!

1. 1The Missing Mirror: The most frequent error is forgetting the pronoun entirely. Saying Eu deito agora sounds like you are about to lay an egg or put a baby down. Unless there is an object involved, keep that me in there!
2. 2Pronoun Mismatch: Using se for everything. Eu se deito is a classic learner mistake. It’s like wearing someone else’s shoes—it just doesn't fit. Match the person to the pronoun every single time.
3. 3The 'Nós' Trap: In the nós form, especially in Portugal, people forget to drop the 's' before adding nos. It should be Deitamo-nos, not Deitamos-nos. The second one sounds like you have a marble in your mouth.
4. 4Confusing with 'Dar': Because deitar and dar (to give) both start with 'd', beginners sometimes swap them. You don't want to tell your boss you're going to "give yourself" when you mean you're going to "lie down."

Let’s compare deitar-se with sentar-se (to sit down). Both describe a change in posture.

• Vou me sentar = You are moving to a chair.
• Vou me deitar = You are moving to a bed or sofa.

Another interesting contrast is with levantar-se (to get up). It’s the exact opposite movement but uses the same reflexive logic.

• Deito-me às 22h (I go to bed at 10 PM).
• Levanto-me às 6h (I get up at 6 AM).

Think of these reflexive verbs as a set of "body movement" tools. They all follow the same rules, so once you learn deitar-se, you’ve basically unlocked sentar-se, levantar-se, and vestir-se (to dress oneself) for free! It’s like a "buy one, get four" deal at the grammar supermarket.