Alzarsi: Full Conjugation (Reflexive)

Alzarsi (to get up, to rise, to stand up) is the textbook model of a regular -arsi reflexive verb — the kind that takes a fully predictable -are paradigm with reflexive pronouns slotted in. If you can conjugate alzarsi in every tense and place its pronouns correctly, you can do the same for vestirsi, lavarsi, svegliarsi, addormentarsi, sedersi, riposarsi, and dozens more daily-routine verbs. The grammar of alzarsi is the grammar of half the things you do before nine in the morning.

The non-reflexive verb alzare (to lift, to raise) takes an external object — alzare la mano (raise your hand), alzare il volume (turn up the volume). Add the reflexive pronoun and the action loops back onto the subject: alzarsi = "to lift oneself up" — to get out of bed, get up from a chair, stand up. English typically uses no reflexive pronoun at all in these contexts ("I get up at seven," not "I get myself up at seven"), which is exactly the gap learners must close.

Etymologically, alzare comes from late Latin *altiare, derived from altus (high, tall) — the same root that gives Italian alto, altezza (height) and English altitude, exalt. The reflexive form alzarsi is a medieval innovation: the reflexive pronoun -si grammaticalises the meaning "lift oneself," which then narrows to the everyday "get up."

The reflexive infinitive: alzarsi

A reflexive infinitive is built by dropping the final -e of alzare and attaching -si as a single word: alzare + -si → alzarsi. The -si is the third-person reflexive pronoun pressed into service as a generic reflexive marker. When the verb is conjugated, this -si is replaced by the pronoun matching the subject (mi, ti, si, ci, vi, si) — see reflexive verbs: overview.

Indicativo presente

The reflexive pronoun is a separate word that goes immediately before the conjugated verb in finite forms. It must agree with the subject — mi alzo (never ti alzo, which would mean "I get you up" — a different action entirely). The verb form itself is just the regular -are present indicative of alzare.

Imperfetto

Standard regular -are imperfetto. The pronoun stays in front of the conjugated verb, exactly as in the present. Used heavily for past habitual actions: da bambino mi alzavo all'alba per andare a pesca con il nonno ("as a kid I'd get up at dawn to go fishing with my grandfather").

Passato remoto

Standard regular -are passato remoto. Note the mandatory grave accent on the 3sg si alzò — without it, si alzo would just be a typo. The double m in 1pl ci alzammo distinguishes the historical past from the present ci alziamo.

Futuro semplice

The future of alzarsi uses the standard -are future stem alzer- (the -are becomes -er- before the future endings). Mandatory grave accents on mi alzerò (1sg) and si alzerà (3sg).

Condizionale presente

Standard -are conditional on the stem alzer-. The famous single-m vs double-m trap returns: ci alzeremo is the future ("we will get up"), ci alzeremmo is the conditional ("we would get up").

Congiuntivo presente

The three singulars collapse into alzi, distinguishable only by context or the explicit pronoun. The 1pl form ci alziamo is identical to the present indicative — context resolves it. The 3pl is si alzino.

Congiuntivo imperfetto

Standard -are congiuntivo imperfetto. Used in counterfactuals: se mi alzassi un'ora prima, riuscirei a fare colazione tranquilla ("if I got up an hour earlier, I'd manage a calm breakfast").

Imperativo

This is the trickiest part of every reflexive verb's paradigm — the rules for clitic attachment differ between informal and formal forms.

The pattern: the pronoun attaches to the end of the verb in the informal forms (tu, noi, voi), creating a single word. In the formal forms (Lei, loro — which are borrowed from the congiuntivo presente), the pronoun stays as a separate word in front of the verb, just as in the regular indicative.

This split is crucial. It's why you say Si accomodi ("Please have a seat") to a stranger but Accomodati to a friend — same verb, different politeness register, different clitic position.

Negative imperative

The negative imperative for the tu form has two correct variants. You can either keep the pronoun before the verb with the standard pre-verbal position (non ti alzare) or attach it to the infinitive (non alzarti). Both are heard in modern speech; the attached version is slightly more common.

For voi and noi, the negative imperative simply uses non before the affirmative form: non alzatevi, non alziamoci.

Forme non finite

The infinitive alzarsi keeps the pronoun attached as a single word — but when the subject is specific, the -si is replaced with the matching pronoun: prima di alzarmi (before I get up), dopo alzarti (after you get up). The pronoun adapts to the subject.

The gerund attaches the pronoun as well: alzandomi, alzandoti, alzandosi, alzandoci, alzandovi, alzandosi — alzandomi alle sei, sono riuscito a finire il lavoro ("by getting up at six, I managed to finish the work").

The participle alzato behaves like any -are participle and agrees with the subject when used in compound tenses (because reflexives take essere — see below).

Compound tenses: essere with subject agreement

Here is the most important table on the page. All reflexive verbs use essere as their auxiliary, and the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number. The reflexive pronoun stays before the auxiliary.

The full set of compound tenses, in 1sg masculine form (replace -ato with -ata, -ati, -ate as needed):

Clitic position: the master rule

The position of the reflexive pronoun is one of the trickiest mechanics for English speakers, because it depends on whether the verb is finite or non-finite, and whether the construction is affirmative or negative.

The two EITHER position cases are worth dwelling on. With modal verbs (potere, dovere, volere, sapere) followed by a reflexive infinitive, you can place the pronoun either before the modal or attached to the infinitive — and both options are completely natural in modern Italian, with no difference in meaning or register.

For the systematic breakdown, see clitic placement with reflexives.

Idiomatic and figurative uses

Beyond "get up from bed/chair," alzarsi covers a range of related senses — standing up, the rising of natural phenomena (sun, wind, prices), and a handful of fixed idioms.

Alzare vs alzarsi: same verb, different action

A reminder on the non-reflexive partner. Alzare (without -si) is transitive and takes an external object — the action goes outward. Alzarsi loops the action back onto the subject.

Common mistakes

Key takeaways

Alzarsi is the textbook regular -arsi reflexive, and mastering its paradigm gives you the template for half the daily-routine vocabulary of Italian.

1. The reflexive pronoun must match the subject and goes before the conjugated finite verb: mi alzo, ti alzi, si alza, ci alziamo, vi alzate, si alzano. Without the pronoun, the verb means "raise/lift (something)" — a different action.

2. All reflexives take essere in compound tenses, and the past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number. Mi sono alzato (man), mi sono alzata (woman), ci siamo alzati (mixed), ci siamo alzate (all-female).

3. Clitic position rules:

   • Before the conjugated verb in finite forms: mi alzo, mi sono alzata.
   • Attached to the end of infinitives, gerunds, and informal imperatives: alzarmi, alzandomi, alzati!.
   • Separate word in formal imperatives (Lei, loro): si alzi! si alzino!.
   • Two acceptable positions with modal verbs and negative tu imperative.

4. Alzarsi vs alzare — the reflexive form is for "getting oneself up," the non-reflexive form is for "lifting/raising something else." Drill them as a pair.

The companion verbs to learn next are svegliarsi ("to wake up" — the action that precedes alzarsi every morning) and lavarsi ("to wash oneself"), which adds the inalienable-possession rule for body parts.