Questions & Answers about Когда я встаю, я не понимаю, сплю ли я.
Why is the verb встаю missing the -ва- from its dictionary form вставать?
Verbs ending in -давать, -знавать, and -ставать (like вставать) drop the -ва- suffix in the present tense. That is why вставать becomes я встаю instead of 'я вставаю'.
Why is the particle ли used here, and why is it placed after сплю?
The particle ли translates to 'whether' or 'if' for indirect yes/no questions. It must be placed immediately after the word you are questioning. Since the uncertainty is about sleeping, it becomes сплю ли я. You cannot use если for this type of 'if'!
Where does the л in сплю come from if the infinitive is спать?
The verb спать (to sleep) has a stem ending in п. For these types of verbs, an л is inserted in the я (I) form to make it easier to pronounce, resulting in сплю. The л disappears in other forms, such as ты спишь (you sleep).
Why use the imperfective verb встаю instead of the perfective встану?