The simple present tense of despertarse is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur regularly or habitually. For example, Todos los días me despierto a las 7 a.m. (Every day I wake up at 7 a.m.).

Despertarse is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes in certain conjugations. For this verb, the e changes to ie in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Despertarse (to wake up) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Despertarse generally means to wake up, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To wake up: This is the most common meaning, referring to the act of waking up from sleep. For example, Yo me despierto a las 7 am todos los días (I wake up at 7 am every day).

To become aware: It can also mean to become aware or conscious of something. For example, La gente se despierta a los problemas ambientales (People are becoming aware of environmental issues).

To awaken (figuratively): Used figuratively, it can mean to awaken or revive an emotion, interest, or idea. For example, Este libro me despierta la curiosidad por la historia (This book awakens my curiosity about history).

To wake up (colloquially): In some colloquial contexts, it can mean to become aware of a situation or reality, often with a negative connotation. For example, ¡Despiértate, hombre! Ella te está engañando (Wake up, man! She’s cheating on you).

Examples

Examples of Despertarse in the Present Tense

Todos los días me despierto a las 6 de la mañana. (Every day I wake up at 6 in the morning.)

¿A qué hora te despiertas normalmente? (What time do you usually wake up?)

Mi hijo se despierta muy temprano los fines de semana. (My son wakes up very early on weekends.)

El ruido de la construcción me despierta todas las mañanas. (The construction noise wakes me up every morning.)

Cuando estoy de vacaciones, me despierto sin alarma. (When I’m on vacation, I wake up without an alarm.)

¿Por qué te despiertas tan tarde los domingos? (Why do you wake up so late on Sundays?)

Mi compañero de cuarto se despierta con el menor ruido. (My roommate wakes up at the slightest noise.)

Aunque me despierto temprano, no soy una persona madrugadora. (Even though I wake up early, I’m not a morning person.)

El bebé se despierta varias veces durante la noche. (The baby wakes up several times during the night.)

¿Te despiertas con facilidad o necesitas varias alarmas? (Do you wake up easily or do you need several alarms?)

Mi abuela se despierta con el canto de los pájaros. (My grandmother wakes up to the birds singing.)

Aunque me despierto cansado, hago ejercicio todas las mañanas. (Even though I wake up tired, I exercise every morning.)

¿A qué hora se despierta tu hermano para ir a la escuela? (What time does your brother wake up to go to school?)

Cuando viajo, me despierto muy temprano por el cambio de horario. (When I travel, I wake up very early due to the time change.)

Mi vecino se despierta con el olor del café recién hecho. (My neighbor wakes up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Despertarse (to wake up) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.