se trezi
To wake up in Romanian is to say se trezi. Wiktionary also lists se scula and se deștepta.
Meaning: to (become) awake (verb)
Ways to say it
| Romanian | IPA |
|---|---|
| se trezi | |
| se scula | /se skuˈla/ (word by word) |
| se deștepta |
The phrase is used to describe the act of becoming awake or conscious.
Which one should you use?
While all these forms mean to wake up, se trezi specifically refers to the physiological transition from being asleep to being awake. In contrast, se scula is another way to express the concept and se deștepta is a more formal or literary synonym.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a reflexive verb, the pronoun changes depending on who is waking up. For example, mă trezesc means 'I wake up', te trezești means 'you wake up' and se trezește means 'he/she wakes up'. If you want to give a command to a single person to wake up, use the imperative form trezește-te!
Did you know?
- The word se scula, which can mean 'to wake up' or 'to get up', may trace its roots back to a Vulgar Latin term used in hunting to describe removing an animal from its den.
- While se trezi and se deștepta both mean to wake up, se trezi is also used to describe someone suddenly becoming alert or realizing a truth.
- The formal verb deștepta is frequently used in Romanian poetry and literature to symbolize a national or spiritual awakening.
Examples in context
- Vă rog să mă treziți la ora optPlease wake me up at eight o'clock
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wake up” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (se, scula) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries deștepta, scula, se, trezi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
