Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Nos despertamos temprano para ver el amanecer en la montaña. - We wake up early to watch the sunrise on the mountain.

In Spanish, many actions you do to yourself use a reflexive form. The nos (short for nosotros) shows that the subject and the object are the same people: “we wake ourselves up.” Without nos, despertamos could mean “we wake someone else up.”

What’s the difference between despertarse and levantarse?

• despertarse = “to wake up” (stop sleeping)
• levantarse = “to get up” (actually leave the bed)
In English they often translate both as “get up,” but Spanish distinguishes the moment of waking (despertarse) from the act of rising from bed (levantarse).

How can I tell if despertamos is preterite (we woke up) or present (we wake up)?

The nosotros form of many –ar verbs is identical in present and preterite. You need context or time markers:
• If you’re telling a past story (“Yesterday we woke up…”), it’s preterite.
• If you’re describing a habit (“We wake up every day…”), it’s present.
In isolation, context tells you which meaning applies.

Why do we use para ver and not just ver or a ver?

• para + infinitive expresses purpose: “in order to see.”
• ver alone would lack a link to “why” you woke up early.
• a ver can colloquially introduce an action (“Let’s see…”), but it doesn’t clearly mean “in order to see.”

What does para mean in this sentence?

Here para means “in order to” or “so that.” It introduces the goal of waking up early: para ver el amanecer = “so that we could watch the sunrise.”

Is amanecer a noun or verb here? Why is there el before it?

With the article el, amanecer is a noun meaning “the sunrise” or “the dawn.” If it were a verb (“to dawn”), you’d see forms like amaneció or amaneciendo, without el.

Could I say ver la salida del sol instead of ver el amanecer?

Yes. salida del sol literally means “sun’s rising,” and is a valid alternative. el amanecer is shorter and very common, but both express the same idea.

Why is it en la montaña and not a la montaña or just en montaña?

• en indicates location (“on/at the mountain”), which fits if you’re already there.
• a would indicate movement toward the mountain (“to the mountain”).
• Spanish usually requires the definite article with singular, specific places: en la montaña, even if in English we say “in mountains” without “the.”

Why is temprano placed right after nos despertamos?

Adverbs like temprano (early) typically follow the conjugated verb. You could also say Temprano nos despertamos…, but the given word order is more fluid and common in speech.

Could I use mirar instead of ver here?

You could, but there’s a nuance:
• ver el amanecer = “to see/watch the sunrise” (focus on observing a natural event).
• mirar el amanecer = “to look at the sunrise” (emphasizes the act of looking).
Both are understood, but ver is more idiomatic for celestial phenomena.