The Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) of Despertarse is used to give direct orders or instructions for someone to wake up, for example ¡Despiértate! (Wake up!). It allows you to address someone directly and tell them to perform the action of waking up.

Despertarse is an e to ie stem-changing verb, meaning the e in the stem changes to ie in certain conjugations. This change occurs in the imperative forms to maintain the proper vowel sound.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Despertarse (to wake up) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish):

Despertarse generally means to wake up or become awake, but has several different meanings in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands), some of which might surprise you.

To wake up: This is the most literal meaning, used to tell someone to become awake from sleep. For example, ¡Despiértate! (Wake up!)

To become aware: It can also mean to become aware or conscious of something, often used figuratively. For example, ¡Despierta y date cuenta de lo que está pasando! (Wake up and realize what’s going on!)

To get moving: In a more colloquial sense, it can mean to get going or start being active. For example, ¡Despiértate y deja de holgazanear! (Wake up and stop being lazy!)

To become alert: It can also mean to become alert or attentive, often used in a figurative sense. For example, ¡Despiértate y presta atención! (Wake up and pay attention!)

To snap out of it: In a more idiomatic usage, it can mean to snap out of a daze or trance-like state. For example, ¡Despierta, hombre! ¿Qué te pasa? (Wake up, man! What’s wrong with you?)

Examples

Examples of Despertarse in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands)

¡Despiértate! Es hora de comenzar un nuevo día. (Wake up! It’s time to start a new day.)

Por favor, despiértese temprano mañana para llegar a tiempo a la reunión. (Please wake up early tomorrow to arrive on time for the meeting.)

Vamos, niños, despertémonos y preparémonos para la excursión escolar. (Come on, kids, let’s wake up and get ready for the school field trip.)

Señores, despiértense y presten atención a las instrucciones de seguridad. (Ladies and gentlemen, wake up and pay attention to the safety instructions.)

Antes de salir de vacaciones, despiértate temprano para hacer las maletas. (Before going on vacation, wake up early to pack your bags.)

¡Despiértate, dormilón! Tienes que ir a trabajar. (Wake up, sleepyhead! You have to go to work.)

Para aprovechar al máximo el día, despiértese con el amanecer. (To make the most of the day, wake up at sunrise.)

Mamá, despertémonos temprano para preparar el desayuno familiar. (Mom, let’s wake up early to prepare the family breakfast.)

Cuando suene la alarma, despiértense de inmediato para no llegar tarde. (When the alarm goes off, wake up immediately so you’re not late.)

Si quieres estar en forma, despiértate temprano para hacer ejercicio. (If you want to stay in shape, wake up early to exercise.)

¡Despiértate, bella durmiente! Es hora de enfrentar un nuevo día. (Wake up, sleeping beauty! It’s time to face a new day.)

Para tener un buen rendimiento en el trabajo, despiértese descansado y alerta. (To perform well at work, wake up rested and alert.)

Vamos, equipo, despertémonos y demos lo mejor en el partido de hoy. (Come on, team, let’s wake up and give our best in today’s game.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Despertarse (to wake up) in the Imperative Mood (Affirmative Commands) tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

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

Synonyms

The Imperative mood is also known as the Command Form, Affirmative Command Mood, or Direct Command Form in English, and as Modo Imperativo, Imperativo Afirmativo, Mandatos Afirmativos, or Forma de Mandato in Spanish.