alzarsi
/alˈt͡sar.si/
To get up in Italian is alzarsi.
The verb alzarsi is used to describe the action of rising from one's bed.
Meaning: to rise from one's bed (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The word alzarsi literally means 'to raise oneself'. It is composed of alzare (to raise or lift) and the reflexive pronoun -si (oneself).
Which one should you use?
Use the reflexive form alzarsi when you are rising from a bed or a chair. In contrast, use the non-reflexive form alzare when you are lifting an object.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you conjugate the verb in the first person singular present tense to say 'I get up', the reflexive pronoun mi is placed before the verb, resulting in mi alzo. For the informal imperative 'get up', use alzati, which combines the imperative alza with the reflexive pronoun ti.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /alˈtsar.si/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- While alzarsi is used for getting out of bed, Italians use the word svegliarsi to describe the moment of waking up. In English these are often interchangeable, but in Italian you can svegliarsi without ever actually alzarsi.
- The word alzare is also used in a different context to mean 'to turn up the volume' on a radio or television. You would say alza il volume to tell someone to make the sound louder.
- The root of alzarsi is related to the word alto, meaning 'high'. The action of getting up is literally seen as the process of becoming 'high' or vertical.
Examples in context
- È ora di alzarsi.It's time to get up.This sentence is useful for saying it is time to use alzarsi.Tatoeba #1246543 by Guybrush88, translation #442011 by CK
- È ora di alzarsi, Tom.It's time to get up, Tom.This sentence is useful for telling a specific person like Tom it is time to use alzarsi.Tatoeba #6687584 by Guybrush88, translation #6815346 by CK
- Non riesce ad alzarsi.He can't get up.This sentence is useful for expressing inability to use alzarsi.Tatoeba #8818872 by Guybrush88, translation #8478873 by CH
- 36 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia is waking up Matteo in the morning.
- SofiaMatteo, devi alzarsi adesso!Matteo, you have to get up now!
- MatteoAncora cinque minuti, per favore.Five more minutes, please.
- SofiaNon puoi continuare ad alzarsi così tardi.You can't keep getting up so late.
- MatteoVa bene, mi alzo subito.Alright, I'm getting up right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “get up” translations and entries alzarsi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
