Learn Italian: Prima ci si svegliava presto. - Before, one used to wake up early.

Prima ci si svegliava presto.

Before, one used to wake up early.

Breakdown of Prima ci si svegliava presto.

presto

early / soon / quickly, hurry

one (impersonal with reflexive verbs)

Questions & Answers about Prima ci si svegliava presto.

Why are there two pronouns, ci si, instead of just the impersonal si?

The verb here is the reflexive svegliarsi (to wake up). To make a reflexive verb impersonal (meaning "one wakes up" or "people wake up"), you need both the reflexive pronoun and the impersonal pronoun. Since saying si si sounds repetitive and awkward, Italian always changes the first one to ci, creating ci si.

Why is the verb in the imperfect tense (svegliava) rather than the passato prossimo?

The imperfect tense is used here because it describes a habitual, repeated action in the past ("used to wake up"). The word Prima (before / in the past) sets the stage for describing how things used to be on an ongoing basis, which is a classic trigger for the imperfect.

Why is the verb in the third-person singular (svegliava)?

The impersonal si structure always uses the third-person singular of the verb, unless it is followed by a plural direct object. Since there is no plural object here—only the adverb presto (early)—the verb stays singular.

Could this sentence also mean "Before, we used to wake up early"?

Yes! In spoken Italian, the impersonal si structure is very frequently used as an alternative way to say "we". Context will usually tell you if the speaker means people in general ("one used to wake up") or themselves and their group ("we used to wake up"). If they meant "we", it means exactly the same thing as Prima ci svegliavamo presto.