amanecer
/ah-mah-neh-SEHR/
to dawn
Visualizing the action 'to dawn,' as the sun emerges above the horizon.
amanecer(verb)
to dawn
?when the sun rises
to wake up (figurative)
?to find oneself in a certain state upon waking
📝 In Action
Mañana va a amanecer despejado.
A1Tomorrow it is going to dawn clear (the sky will be clear when the sun rises).
Amanecimos sin electricidad después de la tormenta.
B1We woke up without electricity after the storm. (Here, it means 'we found ourselves' in that situation when day broke.)
Siempre me gusta ver cómo amanece sobre el mar.
A2I always like to see how the sun rises over the sea.
💡 Grammar Points
Impersonal Use
Like 'llover' (to rain), 'amanecer' is often used only in the 'él/ella/usted' form because the subject is the weather or the time, not a person.
The 'Yo' Form Change
The 'yo' form of the present tense is irregular: 'amanezco.' This 'zco' ending is common for verbs ending in -ecer, -ucir, and -ocer.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Missing the 'z' in Subjunctive
Mistake: "Using *que amanece* (indicative) when you need the special form *que amanezca* (subjunctive)."
Correction: Always remember the 'z' in the present subjunctive forms (*amanezca, amanezcamos, etc.*) and the present 'yo' form (*amanezco*).
⭐ Usage Tips
Describing Your Morning
You can use this verb reflexively ('Amanecerse') to mean 'to stay awake all night until dawn,' often used when partying or working late: 'Nos amanecimos estudiando.'
This image captures the beautiful time of day known as 'dawn.'
amanecer(noun)
dawn
?the time the sun rises
,sunrise
?the actual event of the sun appearing
the beginning
?figurative start of a period or time
📝 In Action
El amanecer en la montaña es espectacular.
A2The dawn/sunrise in the mountains is spectacular.
Trabajamos desde el amanecer hasta el atardecer.
B1We worked from sunrise until sunset.
Este descubrimiento es el amanecer de una nueva era científica.
C1This discovery is the dawn of a new scientific era.
💡 Grammar Points
Gender Rule
All nouns created from infinitives (like 'el comer,' 'el correr') are masculine. Therefore, 'amanecer' is always 'el amanecer.'
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing Gender
Mistake: "Saying *la amanecer* (feminine)."
Correction: Remember that 'amanecer' as a noun is masculine: *el amanecer*.
⭐ Usage Tips
Poetic Language
Using 'el amanecer' is often more poetic or descriptive than the simpler 'la mañana' (the morning).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: amanecer
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'amanecer' as a noun?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
¿Cuál es la diferencia entre 'amanecer' y 'mañana'?
'Amanecer' refers specifically to the moment the sun rises or the transition from night to day (dawn/daybreak). 'Mañana' is the general period of the day from sunrise until noon.
Why does the 'yo' form change to 'amanezco'?
This is a common pattern for many Spanish verbs that end in -cer. The 'c' changes to 'zc' before an 'o' or 'a' to keep the 'th' or 's' sound consistent throughout the conjugation (this is a spelling rule, not a true irregularity).