What is the difference between acostarse and echarse?

Acostarse is universal Spanish for to lay down or to go to bed. Echarse is more casual and particularly common in Spain, meaning to throw oneself down (on a couch, bed, grass). In Latin America, echarse is less common for this meaning.

Does acostarse always mean to go to sleep?

Acostarse specifically means to lay down in a horizontal position and can cover resting without sleeping, taking a brief nap, or settling in for the night. Whether sleep is implied depends entirely on context—someone might say me voy a acostar un rato simply to rest on the couch.

How do I say lay it down (an object) in Spanish?

For placing an object down, use poner or colocar instead of acostar. For example, Pon el libro en la mesa (Put the book on the table). Acostar without the reflexive se can mean to put a child to bed: Voy a acostar al bebé.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

LAY DOWN in Spanish: ACOSTARSE

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Acostarse · verb · ah-kohs-TAR-seh

Acostarse is the reflexive verb meaning to lay down or to go to bed in Spanish. It is a stem-changing verb (o→ue) and one of the most frequently used reflexive verbs in daily life. Regional alternatives like echarse and tumbarse (both common in Spain) add variety, while recostarse specifically means to recline or lean back.

ah-kohs-TAR-seh

Voy a acostarme un rato porque me duele la cabeza.

I'm going to lay down for a while because my head hurts.

lay down in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for lay down, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
acostarse	lay down	ah-kohs-TAR-seh	Default, widely understood
recostarse	lay down		to recline/lean back
echarse	lay down		Spain/informal
tumbarse	lay down		Spain

How Native Speakers Use Acostarse

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Rest

Me voy a acostar un rato después de almorzar.

I'm going to lay down for a while after lunch.

Taking a short rest, common during siesta time.

Bedtime

Los niños se acuestan a las ocho de la noche.

The children lay down at eight at night.

Acostarse also means to go to bed at night.

Informal (Spain)

Échate en el sofá si estás cansado.

Lay down on the sofa if you're tired.

Echarse is casual and very common in Spain.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Acostarse

Forgetting Reflexive

Incorrect: Yo acuesto en la cama.

Correct: Yo me acuesto en la cama.

Acostarse is reflexive—the me/te/se pronoun is required. Without it, acostar means to put someone else to bed.

Missing Stem Change

Incorrect: Yo me acosto temprano.

Correct: Yo me acuesto temprano.

Acostarse has an o→ue stem change in the present tense for all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

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Common Questions About lay down in Spanish

What is the difference between acostarse and echarse?: Acostarse is universal Spanish for to lay down or to go to bed. Echarse is more casual and particularly common in Spain, meaning to throw oneself down (on a couch, bed, grass). In Latin America, echarse is less common for this meaning.
Does acostarse always mean to go to sleep?: Acostarse specifically means to lay down in a horizontal position and can cover resting without sleeping, taking a brief nap, or settling in for the night. Whether sleep is implied depends entirely on context—someone might say me voy a acostar un rato simply to rest on the couch.
How do I say lay it down (an object) in Spanish?: For placing an object down, use poner or colocar instead of acostar. For example, Pon el libro en la mesa (Put the book on the table). Acostar without the reflexive se can mean to put a child to bed: Voy a acostar al bebé.