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amanecer

ah-mah-neh-SEHRa.ma.neˈθeɾ

“amanecer” means “to dawn” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to dawn

Also: to wake up (figurative)
VerbA1irregular (z-c spelling change), impersonal er
Mexico
A vibrant storybook illustration showing the moment the sun begins to rise over dark mountains, transitioning the sky from dark indigo to brilliant yellow and orange.
infinitiveamanecer
gerundamaneciendo
past Participleamanecido

📝 In Action

Mañana va a amanecer despejado.

A1

Tomorrow it is going to dawn clear (the sky will be clear when the sun rises).

Amanecimos sin electricidad después de la tormenta.

B1

We 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.

A2

I always like to see how the sun rises over the sea.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • al amanecer – at dawn
  • amanecer nublado – to dawn cloudy

Idioms & Expressions

  • Amanecerá y veremos – We'll wait and see what happens (Time will tell)

dawn, sunrise

Also: the beginning
NounmA2
A calm storybook illustration depicting the early morning light over a grassy field, characterized by soft pastel colors of pink, orange, and light blue illuminating the scene.

📝 In Action

El amanecer en la montaña es espectacular.

A2

The dawn/sunrise in the mountains is spectacular.

Trabajamos desde el amanecer hasta el atardecer.

B1

We worked from sunrise until sunset.

Este descubrimiento es el amanecer de una nueva era científica.

C1

This discovery is the dawn of a new scientific era.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • alba (dawn, daybreak)
  • aurora (daybreak)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • un bello amanecer – a beautiful sunrise
  • antes del amanecer – before dawn

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedamanece
yoamanezco
túamaneces
ellos/ellas/ustedesamanecen
nosotrosamanecemos
vosotrosamanecéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedamanecía
yoamanecía
túamanecías
ellos/ellas/ustedesamanecían
nosotrosamanecíamos
vosotrosamanecíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedamaneció
yoamanecí
túamaneciste
ellos/ellas/ustedesamanecieron
nosotrosamanecimos
vosotrosamanecisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedamanezca
yoamanezca
túamanezas
ellos/ellas/ustedesamanezcan
nosotrosamanezcamos
vosotrosamanezcáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedamaneciera
yoamaneciera
túamanecieras
ellos/ellas/ustedesamanecieran
nosotrosamaneciéramos
vosotrosamanecierais
View All Tenses & Moods →

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "amanecer" in Spanish:

dawn→sunrise→the beginning→to dawn→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: amanecer

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'amanecer' as a noun?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
mañana(morning, tomorrow) — Noun
madrugar(to get up early) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Formed in Latin by combining *ad-* (meaning 'to' or 'toward') and *mane* (meaning 'morning'), plus an ending that signifies 'the beginning of an action.' So, the word literally means 'to begin to be morning.'

First recorded: Medieval Latin

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: amanhecerCatalan: amanir

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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).