Mi Sveglio, Faccio Colazione: Talking About Your Daily Routine in Italian

Q: Do all verbs that mean 'to get' in English become reflexive in Italian?

Not necessarily. While 'to get up' (alzarsi) and 'to get dressed' (vestirsi) are reflexive, 'to get a coffee' (prendere un caffè) is not. It depends on whether the action is performed by the subject to the subject.

Q: How do I say 'I brush my teeth'?

You'd say Mi lavo i denti (literally, 'I wash myself the teeth'). Italian often uses a reflexive verb with a definite article (like i for 'the') instead of a possessive adjective ('my') for body parts.

Q: Can I use 'io' (I) with reflexive verbs?

Yes, you can say Io mi sveglio, but it's often omitted because the mi already tells you who the subject is. It's more common to just say Mi sveglio, unless you want to emphasize 'I' specifically.

Many of your daily actions, like getting up or getting dressed, are performed by you, to you. In Italian, these are expressed with verbi riflessivi (reflexive verbs). They always come with a reflexive pronoun (like mi, ti, si) that matches the subject of the verb.

01What are reflexive verbs?

Reflexive verbs are verbs where the subject and object are the same: I wash myself, you dress yourself. In Italian, you'll see a small word before the verb, like mi (me), ti (you), si (him/her/it/them), ci (us), vi (you all). This pronoun tells you who is doing the action to themselves.

Italian	Meaning	Hear
svegliarsi /zveʎˈʎarsi/	to wake up
alzarsi /alˈtsarsi/	to get up
lavarsi /laˈvarsi/	to wash oneself
vestirsi /vesˈtirsi/	to get dressed
prepararsi /prepaˈrarsi/	to get ready

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02How do I use them in a sentence?

The reflexive pronoun always comes before the conjugated verb. Let's look at a typical morning.

You

Mi sveglio alle sette.

I wake up at seven.

You

Poi mi alzo subito.

Then I get up immediately.

You

Mi lavo e mi vesto.

I wash (myself) and get dressed (myself).

Culture note

La colazione italiana

Italian breakfast (colazione) is typically light and sweet: coffee (often a cappuccino), a croissant (cornetto), or some biscuits (biscotti). It's rarely a big, savory meal like in other countries. You'll often have it quickly at home or al bar.

03What about non-reflexive actions?

Not every daily action is reflexive. Eating breakfast, for example, is just faccio colazione (I make/do breakfast), not mi faccio colazione. Here are some common non-reflexive phrases:

Italian	Meaning	Hear
faccio colazione /ˈfattʃo kolaˈtsjone/	I have breakfast
leggo il giornale /ˈlɛɡɡo il dʒorˈnale/	I read the newspaper
vado al lavoro /ˈvado al laˈvoro/	I go to work
ceno /ˈtʃeno/	I have dinner
dormo /ˈdɔrmo/	I sleep

Io lavo. → Io mi lavo. If you're washing yourself, you need the reflexive pronoun mi.
Mi faccio colazione. → Faccio colazione. Having breakfast is not a reflexive action in Italian, so no mi is needed.

Every morning is a fresh start, especially in Italian.

Do all verbs that mean 'to get' in English become reflexive in Italian?

Not necessarily. While 'to get up' (alzarsi) and 'to get dressed' (vestirsi) are reflexive, 'to get a coffee' (prendere un caffè) is not. It depends on whether the action is performed by the subject to the subject.

How do I say 'I brush my teeth'?

You'd say Mi lavo i denti (literally, 'I wash myself the teeth'). Italian often uses a reflexive verb with a definite article (like i for 'the') instead of a possessive adjective ('my') for body parts.

Can I use 'io' (I) with reflexive verbs?

Yes, you can say Io mi sveglio, but it's often omitted because the mi already tells you who the subject is. It's more common to just say Mi sveglio, unless you want to emphasize 'I' specifically.

Practice it for real

Now try it yourself — out loud.

Master reflexive verbs and daily routine phrases.

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