Learn Italian: Si sveglia tardi perché si addormenta tardi. - He wakes up late because he falls asleep late.

Si sveglia tardi perché si addormenta tardi.

He wakes up late because he falls asleep late.

Breakdown of Si sveglia tardi perché si addormenta tardi.

Questions & Answers about Si sveglia tardi perché si addormenta tardi.

Why is the word si used twice here?

The word si is a reflexive pronoun. In Italian, verbs for daily routines like waking up (svegliarsi) and falling asleep (addormentarsi) are usually reflexive. Literally, this sentence says 'He wakes himself late because he puts himself to sleep late.'

How do we know this means 'he' if the Italian word for 'he' isn't in the sentence?

The pronoun si and the verb endings for sveglia and addormenta are in the third-person singular form. This form is used for 'he', 'she', and the formal 'you'. Without extra context, this sentence could also perfectly mean 'She wakes up late because she falls asleep late.'

Does perché mean 'because' or 'why'?

It means both! In Italian, perché is used for both 'why' in questions and 'because' in statements. Here, it is connecting two ideas to explain a reason, so it translates to 'because'.

How would I change this to say 'I wake up late because I fall asleep late'?

To talk about yourself, you need to change the reflexive pronoun from si to mi (myself) and use the 'I' form of the verbs, which end in -o. The sentence becomes: Mi sveglio tardi perché mi addormento tardi.