Mi despertador me despierta temprano.

My alarm clock wakes me up early.

Breakdown of Mi despertador me despierta temprano.

• mi: my
• me: me
• temprano: early
• el despertador: the alarm clock

Questions & Answers about Mi despertador me despierta temprano.

Why is it "me despierta" and not "me despierto"?

Because the subject is mi despertador (third person singular), so the verb must be despierta. Me despierto would mean “I wake up (by myself).”

What does "me" do here—direct object or indirect object?

Here me is a direct object pronoun: despertar is transitive and means “to wake someone up” (despertar a alguien). So me = “me (direct object).” You can add a mí only for emphasis: A mí, mi despertador me despierta temprano.

Where does "me" go? Can it go after the verb?

With a conjugated verb, object pronouns go before it: mi despertador no me despierta temprano. They attach to infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands:

• Infinitive: despertarme (El despertador va a despertarme temprano.)
• Gerund: despertándome (Está despertándome ahora.)
• Affirmative command: ¡Despiértame temprano!

What’s the difference between "despertar" and "despertarse"?

• Despertar (a alguien) = to wake someone else up: El ruido me despierta.
• Despertarse = to wake up (yourself): Me despierto a las siete. Your sentence uses the non‑reflexive verb because the alarm is doing the action to you.