This week’s Spanish word of the week is amanecer.
Amanecer is a verb that means to get light; to wake up and you can find out how to pronounce it here:
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When it means to get light amanecer is an impersonal verb just like llover. Impersonal verbs have ‘it’ as the subject, but ‘it’ doesn’t refer to anything specific:
En verano amanece muy temprano. In summer it gets light very early.
When used with an adjective amanecer can be used to talk about the weather:
El día amaneció nublado. The day started out cloudy.
The opposite of amanecer is another impersonal verb, anochecer to get dark:
Se quedaron hasta que anocheció por completo. They stayed until it was completely dark.
Amanecer also has a personal meaning: to wake up:
Hoy Alex amaneció con fiebre. Alex woke up with a temperature this morning.
In this meaning it is a less common or more formal alternative for despertarse.
Come back next week for a new word, and expand your Spanish vocabulary!
