alzarsi
/alˈt͡sar.si/
The English phrase 'rise up' is translated into Italian as alzarsi.
If you specifically mean 'to rise up' in the sense of a political insurrection or a rebellion, the verb insorgere is more precise.
Meaning: to mount a rebellion (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The verb alzarsi is composed of alzare (to raise or lift) and the reflexive pronoun suffix -si (oneself), literally meaning 'to raise oneself'.
Which one should you use?
You may use Levarsi in piedi to mean 'stand up', which can be used interchangeably with alzarsi in formal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
For example, Io mi alzo means 'I rise up' and Egli/Ella si alza means 'he/she rises up'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /alˈtsar.si/. It has 3 syllables, with the stress on the 2nd syllable.
Did you know?
- If you want to describe a crowd rising up in a sudden, spontaneous outburst of anger, Italians might use the verb scoppiare, which literally means 'to burst' like a balloon.
- In a medical context, the word insorgenza, which is derived from the verb for rising up, refers to the onset of a disease.
- While insorgere means to rebel, it is also the word Italians use when a storm or a sudden danger arises unexpectedly.
Examples in context
- Posso chiedere a tutti di levarsi in piedi?May I ask everyone to rise up?
- Eleviamoci contro l'ingiustiziaLet us rise up against injustice
- Il popolo si è alzato contro il governo.The people rose up against the government.
- Dobbiamo svegliarci e difendere i nostri diritti.We need to rise up and defend our rights.
- Risvegliati e prendi il controllo del tuo destino.Rise up and take control of your destiny.
- Non importa quante volte cadi, l'importante è alzarsi.It doesn't matter how many times you fall, what matters is to rise up.
- Il popolo si è alzato contro il tiranno.The people rose up against the tyrant.
- Il popolo decise di alzarsi contro il tiranno.The people decided to rise up against the tyrant.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a historical revolution.
- LorenzoPerché i cittadini decisero di alzarsi in quel periodo?Why did the citizens decide to rise up during that period?
- SofiaErano stanchi della povertà e delle ingiustizie.They were tired of the poverty and the injustices.
- LorenzoQuindi il loro era un grido di libertà.So theirs was a cry for freedom.
- SofiaSì, Lorenzo, volevano cambiare tutto il sistema.Yes, Lorenzo, they wanted to change the whole system.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry alzarsi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
