A veces, me levanto tan temprano que veo el amanecer por la ventana.

Sometimes, I get up so early that I see the sunrise through the window.

Breakdown of A veces, me levanto tan temprano que veo el amanecer por la ventana.

• yo: I
• a veces: sometimes
• tan: so
• levantarse: to get up
• temprano: early
• la ventana: the window
• que: that
• ver: to see
• el amanecer: the sunrise

Questions & Answers about A veces, me levanto tan temprano que veo el amanecer por la ventana.

Why does the sentence use me levanto (reflexive) instead of just levanto?

In Spanish, many verbs that describe everyday actions we do to ourselves (like getting up from bed, sitting down, washing oneself, etc.) are reflexive. Levantarse means “to get oneself up.” So me levanto literally means “I get myself up,” which is the natural way to say “I get up” in Spanish.

Why do we say tan temprano que instead of something like muy temprano?

Using tan...que... often implies a cause-and-effect relationship. Tan temprano que indicates the time is so early that it leads to another result (seeing the sunrise). If you said muy temprano, it would simply mean “very early,” but you’d lose the meaning of so early that this specific consequence occurs.

Why is the phrase por la ventana used instead of en la ventana?

In Spanish, por can mean “through” or indicate a pathway or means. When you say lo veo por la ventana, you mean you see it through the window. If you said en la ventana, it would imply seeing it in the window (like the sunrise is physically in the window), which isn’t the intended meaning.

What does amanecer refer to exactly?

Amanecer can be both a noun and a verb in Spanish. As a noun, it means “dawn” or “daybreak.” As a verb, it means “to get light” or “to become dawn.” In this sentence, it’s used as a noun (the significance is “the sunrise” or “the dawn”).

Could I replace amanecer with another word like alba or salida del sol?

Yes, alba or salida del sol are alternative ways to talk about “dawn” or “sunrise.” However, amanecer is very commonly used in everyday language. Alba tends to sound a bit more poetic or literary, and salida del sol is often used in a more descriptive sense, like indicating the exact moment the sun appears.