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Italian Phrase

Mi sveglio alle 6 del mattino.

/mi ˈzveʎʎo alˈle ˈsei del matˈti.no/
Meaning"I wake up at 6 a.m."
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Meaning

Literally, ‘I wake myself at six of the morning.’ In everyday English it means ‘I wake up at 6 a.m.’ The phrase uses the reflexive verb svegliarsi to talk about one’s own waking time.

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When to use

Use this sentence when describing your daily routine, answering a question about what time you get up, or setting an alarm schedule. It works in both casual conversation and more formal contexts such as a job interview about habits.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Misveglioalle6delmattino

1

Reflexive pronoun (Mi)

The pronoun 'mi' indicates that the subject is performing the action on themselves; it's required with reflexive verbs like svegliarsi.

2

Present tense (sveglio)

‘sveglio’ is the first‑person singular present indicative of the reflexive verb svegliarsi (to wake up).

3

Preposition + article (alle)

‘alle’ is a contraction of a + le, meaning ‘at the’ and is used before a feminine plural noun or a time expression.

4

Number as a noun (6)

When telling time, the hour is expressed as a cardinal number; the article is already included in ‘alle’.

5

Partitive article (del)

‘del’ = di + il, meaning ‘of the’; it links the noun ‘mattino’ to the preceding phrase.

6

Noun (mattino)

‘mattino’ means ‘morning’; together with ‘del’ it specifies ‘of the morning’.

🗨In Conversation

A

A che ora ti svegli di solito?

What time do you usually wake up?

Mi sveglio alle 6 del mattino.

I wake up at 6 a.m.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Sveglio alle 6 del mattino.

    Missing the reflexive pronoun; you need ‘mi sveglio’ because waking up is a reflexive action.

  • Mi sveglio a le 6 del mattino.

    The preposition and article must be contracted to ‘alle’.

  • Mi sveglio alle 6.

    You can omit ‘del mattino’ if the context already makes it clear it’s morning, but keeping it adds clarity.

↔Alternatives

  • Mi alzo alle 6 del mattino.

    I get up at 6 a.m.

  • Mi sveglio alle sei del mattino.

    I wake up at six in the morning.

  • Mi sveglio alle sei del mattino.

    I wake up at six in the morning.

it

Cultural Tip

In Italy, breakfast is typically light and many people start work around 8 a.m., so waking up at 6 a.m. is common for commuters and students. However, in southern regions the daily rhythm can be later, with people often getting up closer to 7 or 8 a.m. Adjust your phrasing according to the region you’re speaking about.