Spanish Conversation · Level 60
76 words
Spanish word
madrugada
Pronunciation
IPA/maðɾuˈɣaða/
Meaning
- feminine nounearly morning
Example
Salgo a correr por la madrugada.
I go out to run in the early morning.
More examples
De madrugada la ciudad está muy tranquila.
In the small hours the city is very quiet.
Core concept
Quiet pre-dawn hour just before sunrise.
Common phrases
de madrugada
in the small hours
por la madrugada
around daybreak
pasar la madrugada
spend the early hours
Similar words
mañana: Time from after dawn through the late morning until noon.
amanecer: Moment when the sun begins to rise.
alba: Short twilight when the sky first lightens.
noche: Dark hours from sunset until the coming dawn.
Definition in Spanish
Momento de la noche inmediatamente anterior a la salida del sol, entendido como la parte más temprana del día.
Word origin
From Spanish madrugar 'to get up early', madrugada is the noun that names the hours immediately before sunrise.
Usage tips
- Spanish clock times before dawn are expressed with de la madrugada (for example a las cinco de la madrugada ≈ 5:00 AM) and pasar la madrugada means to stay up all night rather than to have risen early.
Other meanings
- wee hoursnoun
Related words
- madrugarwake up earlyverb
- madrugadorearly birdnoun