The Present Tense of Amanecer is used to describe when the sun rises or when daylight begins, for example El sol amanece a las 6 de la mañana. (The sun rises at 6 in the morning.)

This verb follows the -cer to -zca spelling-changing conjugation pattern, where the ‘c’ changes to ‘zc’ before the vowel endings.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Amanecer (to dawn) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Amanecer generally means “to dawn” or “to become daylight”, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: Referring to the sunrise or daybreak, for example, El sol amanece a las 6 am. (The sun rises at 6 am.)

Figurative meaning: To begin to understand or realize something, for example, Amanezco que debo estudiar más. (I’m realizing that I need to study more.)

Colloquial meaning: To wake up or become conscious after sleeping, for example, Amanezco con mucha hambre. (I wake up very hungry.) This usage is common in informal speech.

Idiomatic meaning: To find oneself in an unexpected or undesirable situation, for example, Amanecí en la cárcel después de la fiesta. (I woke up in jail after the party.) This meaning conveys surprise or regret.

Examples

Examples of Amanecer in the Present Tense

Cada mañana amanezco con energía renovada. (Every morning I wake up with renewed energy.)

Tú amaneces de buen humor la mayoría de los días. (You wake up in a good mood most days.)

El sol amanece temprano en verano. (The sun rises early in summer.)

Nosotros amanecemos tarde los fines de semana. (We wake up late on weekends.)

¿A qué hora amanecéis ustedes normalmente? (What time do you usually wake up?)

Los gallos amanecen cantando en el campo. (The roosters wake up crowing in the countryside.)

Cuando amanezco, lo primero que hago es preparar café. (When I wake up, the first thing I do is make coffee.)

Si amaneces con resaca, toma mucha agua. (If you wake up with a hangover, drink lots of water.)

El día amanece fresco y soleado. (The day dawns fresh and sunny.)

Cuando amanecemos de mal humor, es mejor no molestar a nadie. (When we wake up in a bad mood, it’s better not to bother anyone.)

¿Por qué amanecéis tan temprano los domingos? (Why do you wake up so early on Sundays?)

Los pájaros amanecen cantando alegremente. (The birds wake up singing cheerfully.)

Cuando amanezco con dolor de cabeza, tomo una pastilla. (When I wake up with a headache, I take a pill.)

Si amaneces con mucha hambre, prepara un desayuno abundante. (If you wake up very hungry, prepare a hearty breakfast.)

La ciudad amanece llena de actividad. (The city wakes up full of activity.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Amanecer (to dawn) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.