Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Ella se despierta tarde porque la manta es muy cálida y el colchón es cómodo. - She wakes up late because the blanket is very warm and the mattress is comfortable.

Because despertarse is a pronominal (reflexive) verb meaning “to wake up (oneself).” The pronoun se (or me, te, nos, os) marks that the subject performs the action on themselves: Ella se despierta = “She wakes up.”

Can I say Ella despierta tarde without se?

It’s possible but uncommon in everyday speech in Spain. You will mostly hear the pronominal form: Ella se despierta tarde. The non‑pronominal despertar is more often transitive (“to wake someone/something”) or sounds literary when used intransitively.

What tense is se despierta and how is it conjugated?

Present indicative, 3rd person singular, with an e→ie stem change: despertarse.

yo me despierto
tú te despiertas
él/ella/usted se despierta
nosotros nos despertamos
vosotros os despertáis
ellos/ustedes se despiertan

Why not use the progressive, like se está despertando?

Spanish uses the simple present for habitual actions. Se despierta tarde = she habitually wakes up late. The progressive (se está despertando) is for an action in progress right now.

Why is it es and not está in la manta es muy cálida and el colchón es cómodo?

Ser describes inherent qualities; estar describes temporary states. A blanket being warm (by nature) and a mattress being comfortable are inherent, so es fits. Use estar for:

A person’s temporary feeling: Ella está cómoda.
An object’s current temperature: La manta está caliente (it’s warm right now).

What’s the difference between cálida, caliente, caluroso, and calentita?

cálido/cálida: warm (pleasant, not hot); fits tones, climates, and can describe textiles.
caliente: hot/warm to the touch; for objects/food. Avoid with people (sexual connotation).
caluroso: hot (weather) or a person who feels heat easily.
calentito/a (colloquial in Spain): nice and warm; e.g., una manta calentita.

Do adjectives agree with the nouns here?

Yes. manta is feminine singular → cálida. colchón is masculine singular → cómodo. Other forms: cómoda, cómodos, cómodas.

What do the accent marks in cálida, cómodo, and colchón do?

They mark the stressed syllable:

cá-li-da and có-mo-do are esdrújulas (stress on the third-from-last), which always take an accent.
col-chón is stressed on the last syllable; because it ends in -n, it needs an accent to show that.

How do I pronounce tricky parts like Ella, despierta, and colchón (Spain)?

Ella: the ll sounds like a y in “yes” in most of Spain: [EH-ya].
despierta: [des-PYER-ta]; tap the single r quickly.
colchón: [kol-CHON]; the final n is clear; the d in cómodo is soft between vowels ([ð], like the “th” in “this”).

Why porque and not por qué / porqué / por que?

porque = because: … tarde porque …
por qué = why (question): ¿Por qué se despierta?
el porqué = the reason (noun): No entiendo el porqué.
por que = “for which/that” in specific structures; rarer.

Do I need to say Ella, or can I drop the subject?

You can drop it: Se despierta tarde. Spanish usually omits subject pronouns unless needed for clarity, contrast, or emphasis.

Why la manta and el colchón instead of “her blanket” or “her mattress”?

Spanish often uses the definite article for specific, context-known items. If you need to stress possession, say su manta / su colchón.

Is a comma needed before porque?

No. In a simple causal sentence, Spanish does not use a comma before porque: … tarde porque …. A comma may appear in parenthetical/explanatory uses, but not here.

What’s the difference between despertarse and levantarse?

despertarse: to wake up (stop sleeping).
levantarse: to get up (leave the bed). You can wake up early but get up late.

Why muy and not mucho in muy cálida / cómodo?

muy modifies adjectives/adverbs: muy cálida, muy cómodo. mucho modifies nouns (mucho calor) or verbs (trabaja mucho). For emphasis like “so,” use tan: tan cálida.

Can I say una cálida manta instead of una manta cálida?

Yes, but it’s stylistic. The default is noun + adjective: una manta cálida. Preposing (una cálida manta) is possible and adds a slightly literary/emotive tone.

Do I have to repeat es before both adjectives?

You can keep it (most natural): … la manta es muy cálida y el colchón es cómodo. In writing, an ellipsis is possible: … la manta es muy cálida y el colchón, cómodo. In speech, repeating es is clearer.

Could I express the cause with a noun phrase, like “because of the warm blanket…”?

Yes. Use por or debido a with a noun:

Se despierta tarde por la manta tan cálida y el colchón tan cómodo.
Se despierta tarde debido a la manta cálida y al colchón cómodo.