sobremesa
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after-meal conversation, post-meal linger, time at the table after eating, table covering, table mat
/sobɾeˈmesa/
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The relaxed time spent at the table after eating, with older senses for a table covering and, now obsolete, dessert.
Examples
La novela usaba sobremesa con un valor culinario ya arcaico.
The novel used sobremesa with a culinary sense that is now archaic.
Quitó la sobremesa antes de limpiar la superficie.
She removed the table covering before cleaning the surface.
Apagaron los móviles para alargar la sobremesa.
They turned off their phones to stretch out the after-meal conversation.
Guardaron las sobremesas en el armario del comedor.
They stored the table coverings in the dining-room cupboard.
Después del postre, nos quedamos de sobremesa con café.
After dessert, we stayed at the table for sobremesa with coffee.
Similar words
postre
cubremesa
mantel
descanso
dulce
cubierta
conversación
fruta
reposo
paño
Meanings
Usage
Use sobremesa for the after-meal time at the table, not for the dessert itself or for the whole meal.
Examples
La sobremesa duró más que la comida.
The after-meal conversation lasted longer than the meal.
Después del postre, nos quedamos de sobremesa con café.
After dessert, we stayed at the table for sobremesa with coffee.
En casa de mis abuelos, la sobremesa siempre termina con historias antiguas.
At my grandparents’ house, sobremesa always ends with old stories.
El restaurante no nos apuró y disfrutamos una larga sobremesa.
The restaurant did not rush us, and we enjoyed a long post-meal linger.
La sobremesa del domingo reunió a toda la familia.
Sunday sobremesa brought the whole family together.
Apagaron los móviles para alargar la sobremesa.
They turned off their phones to stretch out the after-meal conversation.
Una buena sobremesa convierte la cena en una ocasión especial.
A good sobremesa turns dinner into a special occasion.
Common mistakes
El sobremesa uses the wrong gender, and the word is sometimes placed before the meal instead of after it.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| El sobremesa fue larga.
| La sobremesa fue larga.
|
| Comimos una sobremesa deliciosa.
| Tuvimos una sobremesa deliciosa.
|
| La sobremesa empezó antes de comer.
| La sobremesa empezó después de comer.
|
| Nos fuimos de sobremesa al cine.
| Nos quedamos de sobremesa en la mesa.
|
Similar words
tertulia
charla
conversación
convivencia
descanso
reposo
Usage
Use sobremesa in this sense for a table covering, while mantel is the more common everyday word for a tablecloth.
Examples
La sobremesa protegía la madera del comedor.
The table covering protected the dining-room wood.
Eligieron una sobremesa bordada para la mesa antigua.
They chose an embroidered table covering for the old table.
La tienda vendía sobremesas de lino y algodón.
The shop sold linen and cotton table coverings.
Una sobremesa sencilla bastó para decorar el salón.
A simple table covering was enough to decorate the living room.
Quitó la sobremesa antes de limpiar la superficie.
She removed the table covering before cleaning the surface.
La sobremesa blanca combinaba con la vajilla azul.
The white table covering matched the blue dishes.
Guardaron las sobremesas en el armario del comedor.
They stored the table coverings in the dining-room cupboard.
Common mistakes
El sobremesa again has the wrong gender, and this sense should stay tied to a table rather than any cloth or towel.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Puse el sobremesa sobre la mesa.
| Puse la sobremesa sobre la mesa.
|
| La sobremesa cubrió toda la cama.
| La sobremesa cubrió toda la mesa.
|
| Compré una sobremesa para secarme las manos.
| Compré una toalla para secarme las manos.
|
| La sobremesa estaba debajo del plato como servilleta.
| La servilleta estaba junto al plato.
|
Similar words
tapete
mantel
cubremesa
paño
cubierta
Usage
Treat sobremesa as obsolete in this sense, and use postre for dessert in current Spanish.
Examples
En un texto antiguo, sobremesa podía significar el postre.
In an old text, sobremesa could mean the dessert.
La definición académica marca sobremesa como voz desusada para postre.
The academic definition marks sobremesa as a disused word for dessert.
Hoy nadie pediría la sobremesa queriendo decir el dulce final.
Today no one would ask for sobremesa meaning the final sweet course.
El lector moderno puede confundir esa sobremesa antigua con la charla posterior.
The modern reader may confuse that old sobremesa with the later conversation.
En esa acepción, sobremesa quedó desplazada por postre.
In that sense, sobremesa was displaced by postre.
La novela usaba sobremesa con un valor culinario ya arcaico.
The novel used sobremesa with a culinary sense that is now archaic.
El diccionario conserva sobremesa como nombre desusado del postre.
The dictionary preserves sobremesa as a disused name for dessert.
Common mistakes
Sobremesa for dessert sounds obsolete today, so current Spanish normally uses postre instead.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Pedimos una sobremesa de chocolate.
| Pedimos un postre de chocolate.
|
| La carta tiene muchas sobremesas.
| La carta tiene muchos postres.
|
| ¿Qué sobremesa quieres después de cenar?
| ¿Qué postre quieres después de cenar?
|
| Sirvieron la sobremesa antes del plato principal.
| Sirvieron el postre después del plato principal.
|
Usage
The after-meal conversation sense is the one most often meant today, while the table-covering sense is formal and the dessert sense is obsolete.
Common mistakes
El sobremesa uses the wrong gender, and using sobremesa for dessert in modern Spanish confuses it with postre.
Etymology
Formed from Spanish sobre, meaning over or upon, and mesa, meaning table, literally pointing to what is on the table or what happens around it.
FAQ
What does sobremesa mean?
Sobremesa usually means the relaxed time spent talking at the table after a meal.
Is sobremesa the same as dessert?
Not in current Spanish. Postre is the normal word for dessert, while sobremesa is the time after eating. The dessert sense is obsolete.
Is sobremesa masculine or feminine?
Sobremesa is feminine, so it is la sobremesa and una sobremesa.
De sobremesa can mean immediately after eating at the table, and it also appears in expressions such as lámpara de sobremesa for a table lamp.
Where does sobremesa come from?
It comes from sobre and mesa, a transparent formation connected with what is on the table or happens around it.
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