Breakdown of Mă trezesc devreme în fiecare dimineață.
în
in
dimineața
the morning
mă
me
a se trezi
to wake up
devreme
early
fiecare
every
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Questions & Answers about Mă trezesc devreme în fiecare dimineață.
What does mă mean in this sentence and why is it necessary?
mă is the 1st person singular reflexive pronoun. The verb a se trezi (“to wake up”) is reflexive, so mă trezesc literally means “I wake myself up.” Without mă, the reflexive sense is lost and the sentence would be ungrammatical.
Why is the reflexive pronoun mă placed before trezesc here instead of attached to it?
In the present indicative (and most non-imperative moods), Romanian pronouns are proclitic: they precede the verb. Only in the imperative do pronouns attach after the verb (enclitic), e.g. trezește-te (“wake yourself up!”).
What is the base verb in this sentence and how do you conjugate a se trezi in the present tense?
The base verb is a se trezi (“to wake up”). Its present tense forms are:
• eu mă trezesc
• tu te trezești
• el/ea se trezește
• noi ne trezim
• voi vă treziți
• ei/ele se trezesc
What does devreme mean, and does it change form depending on gender or number?
devreme is an adverb meaning “early.” It is invariable—it does not change for gender or number, unlike adjectives.
Why do we say în fiecare dimineață, and what is its literal translation?
în fiecare dimineață literally means “in every morning.” The preposition în introduces a recurring time expression. In Romanian, în fiecare + singular noun is the standard way to say “every …” (e.g. în fiecare zi, în fiecare noapte).
Can I drop în and just say fiecare dimineață?
It’s grammatically possible but uncommon. Native speakers typically use în fiecare dimineață for “every morning.” Omitting în can sound awkward or poetic.
How do I pronounce the letters ă and î in this sentence?
Both are central vowels not found exactly in English:
• ă is a schwa-like “uh,” as in mă or dimineață.
• î (same sound as â) is a close central unrounded vowel, deeper than English “i.”
Approximate full pronunciation:
muh treh-ZESK deh-VREH-meh ên fee-EA-care dee-mee-NE-a-ță.
Where is the stress in dimineață, trezesc, and devreme?
Stress in these words falls as follows:
• di-mi-NE-a-ță (on NE)
• tre-ZESK (on ZESK)
• de-VRE-me (on VRE)
Can I include eu at the beginning or omit mă completely?
You may say Eu mă trezesc devreme în fiecare dimineață for extra emphasis, but you cannot omit mă. The reflexive pronoun is mandatory with a se trezi; without it, trezesc becomes a transitive verb (“I wake [someone] up”), which changes the meaning.