Después del almuerzo, a veces duermo una siesta corta.

After lunch, I sometimes take a short nap.

Breakdown of Después del almuerzo, a veces duermo una siesta corta.

• yo: I
• dormir: to sleep
• después de: after
• a veces: sometimes
• el almuerzo: the lunch
• una: a
• corto: short
• la siesta: the nap

Questions & Answers about Después del almuerzo, a veces duermo una siesta corta.

Why is it después del almuerzo and not después de el almuerzo?

In Spanish, de + el always contracts to del.

• de el almuerzo → del almuerzo

You are forced to use the contraction; de el is grammatically incorrect in this context.
So:

• ✅ después del almuerzo
• ❌ después de el almuerzo

Why do we say después del almuerzo and not just después almuerzo?

The preposition de is required after después when it is followed by a noun.

• después de + [noun]

Examples:

• después de la clase – after class
• después de la cena – after dinner
• después del almuerzo – after lunch

You can only drop de when después is used as an adverb by itself:

• Después, duermo una siesta. – Afterward, I take a nap.

But the pattern después + [noun] without de is incorrect.

Could I say Después de almorzar, a veces duermo una siesta corta instead? What’s the difference?

Yes, that’s a very natural alternative.

• Después del almuerzo = After the lunch (meal) → noun (el almuerzo)
• Después de almorzar = After having lunch / after eating lunch → verb (almorzar = to have lunch)

Both are common.
Subtle difference:

• Después del almuerzo focuses on the event/meal itself.
• Después de almorzar focuses more on the action of eating.

In everyday speech, they’re almost interchangeable here.

What does a veces mean exactly, and where can it go in the sentence?

a veces means sometimes.

In this sentence you can place it in a few positions:

• A veces, después del almuerzo, duermo una siesta corta.
• Después del almuerzo, a veces duermo una siesta corta.
• Después del almuerzo, duermo a veces una siesta corta. (possible, but less common/natural)

Most common in everyday speech would be:

• A veces, después del almuerzo, duermo una siesta corta.
• Después del almuerzo, a veces duermo una siesta corta.

The commas are optional in simple sentences, but they often appear in writing to show pauses.

Why duermo and not tomo or hago for “take a nap”?

The verb dormir means to sleep, and duermo is I sleep (present tense, first person singular).

Spanish often uses dormir (una) siesta for to take a nap:

• duermo una siesta – I take a nap (literally: I sleep a nap)

You might also hear:

• echarse una siesta – to take a nap
• tomar una siesta – also said, especially under English influence, but less traditional in many areas

In neutral/standard usage, dormir la/una siesta and echar(se) una siesta are the most idiomatic.

Why is it duermo and not duerme or dormo?

Dormir is irregular in the present tense; the stem o changes to ue in most forms.

Present tense of dormir:

• yo duermo – I sleep
• tú duermes – you sleep
• él/ella/usted duerme – he/she/you (formal) sleep(s)
• nosotros dormimos – we sleep
• ustedes duermen – you (plural) sleep
• ellos duermen – they sleep

So:

• yo duermo is the correct I form.
• dormo doesn’t exist.
• duerme is he/she/you (formal) sleeps, not I sleep.

Why don’t we use me duermo here? What’s the difference between dormir and dormirse?

• dormir = to sleep (focus on the state/action of sleeping)
• dormirse = to fall asleep (focus on the moment you start sleeping)

Compare:

• A las diez duermo. – At ten I sleep. (I am sleeping at that time.)
• A las diez me duermo. – At ten I fall asleep. (That’s when I start sleeping.)

In Después del almuerzo, a veces duermo una siesta corta, you’re talking about the nap itself, not the moment of falling asleep, so duermo (non‑reflexive) is correct.

Could I say una corta siesta instead of una siesta corta?

You can say una corta siesta, but it sounds more literary or marked.

In Spanish, adjectives usually go after the noun:

• una siesta corta – a short nap (neutral, most natural)
• un libro interesante – an interesting book

When adjectives go before the noun, they often add emphasis, style, or a slightly different nuance. Una corta siesta might feel more poetic or emphatic, but in normal conversation una siesta corta is preferred.

Is almuerzo always “lunch”? I’ve heard comida used too.

Usage varies by country:

• In many Latin American countries, el almuerzo is the main midday meal (lunch).
• In some regions (e.g., parts of Mexico), people commonly say la comida for the main midday meal, and almuerzo may be used less or with a different nuance.

In a neutral Latin American Spanish-learning context, it’s safe to understand el almuerzo as lunch. Just be aware that in real life, locals might say la comida depending on the country/region.

Why is almuerzo a noun here, but I’ve also seen almorzar as a verb?

Spanish often has a noun and a verb from the same root:

• el almuerzo – lunch (the meal)
• almorzar – to have lunch / to eat lunch

So you can say:

• Después del almuerzo, duermo una siesta. – After lunch, I take a nap.
• Después de almorzar, duermo una siesta. – After having lunch, I take a nap.

Both are correct; one uses the noun (almuerzo) and the other the verb (almorzar).

Why is the present tense (duermo) used instead of something like the future or “I will sleep”?

Spanish often uses the present tense to talk about habitual actions—things you do regularly:

• Los domingos juego al fútbol. – On Sundays I play soccer.
• Después del almuerzo, a veces duermo una siesta corta. – After lunch, I sometimes take a short nap.

You would only use future forms if you were emphasizing a specific future plan:

• Mañana, después del almuerzo, voy a dormir una siesta corta. – Tomorrow, after lunch, I’m going to take a short nap.