Italian · Everyday Verbs

"to wake up" in Italian: svegliarsi

svegliarsi

Say it: sveh-LYAHR-seeverb/zveʎˈʎar.si/

To wake up in Italian is svegliarsi (sveh-LYAHR-see). Mi sveglio presto means I wake up early. Mi sono svegliato is I woke up.

Work week

Mi sveglio alle sette ogni giorno.
I wake up at seven every day.
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How to pronounce svegliarsi

Say it

sveh-LYAHR-see

/zveʎˈʎar.si/

Svegliarsi: sveh-LYAHR-see. Soft gli. Mi sveglio is mee SVEH-lyoh.

"to wake up" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
svegliarsito wake up

Infinitive reflexive.

mi sveglioI wake up

Present habit.

mi sono svegliato/aI woke up

Past.

svegliamiwake me up

Ask someone.

How to use svegliarsi in real life

  1. 1Work week

    Mi sveglio alle sette ogni giorno.

    I wake up at seven every day.

    Mi sveglio.

  2. 2Weekend

    Oggi mi sono svegliato tardi.

    Today I woke up late.

    Past reflexive.

  3. 3Hotel morning

    Domani mi sveglio alle sei in punto.

    Tomorrow I wake up at six sharp.

    Mi sveglio.

Mistakes English speakers make with svegliarsi

Incorrect: Io sveglio alle otto.

Correct: Mi sveglio alle otto.

Reflexive: mi sveglio.

Incorrect: La sveglia (as I wake up)

Correct: Mi sveglio.

La sveglia is the alarm clock; use mi sveglio for the verb.

Good to know

Italians joke about chi si sveglia presto on workdays and late Sundays. La sveglia is the alarm; setting it is mettere la sveglia. For people waking, keep mi sveglio / svegliami clear of the noun.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Setting a shared morning plan

  1. ChatPal

    A che ora ti svegli domani?

    What time do you wake up tomorrow?

  2. You

    Mi sveglio alle sei e mezza.

    I wake up at six thirty.

  3. ChatPal

    Ok—mi sveglio io un po' prima.

    Ok—I'll wake up a bit earlier.

  4. You

    Preparo il caffè.

    I'll make the coffee.

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"to wake up" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to wake up" in Italian

I wake up?

Mi sveglio.

I woke up?

Mi sono svegliato/a.

Alarm clock?

La sveglia—different word.

Wake me up?

Svegliami.

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