Use of Despertarse

Question

First of all, how to decide when to use despertar and when despertarse?Second question, why can't we use levantarse in place of despertarse?

Accepted Answer

Hola Anshu
Exactly as Mary said. I'll give you some examples so you can compare:
As a reflexive verb:

Me despierto a las siete, pero me levanto a las siete y cuarto.
I wake up at seven, but I get up at a quarter past seven.
¿A qué hora te despiertas?
What time do you wake up?

As a non-reflexive verb:

Mi madre despierta a mi hermano a las ocho para ir al colegio.
My mum wakes my brother up at eight to go to school.
El sonido de las campanas ha despertado a todo el pueblo.
The sound of the bells has woken the whole village up.

Here is a lesson that might help you with reflexive verbs
Saludos
Inma

Answer

1. Although both despertar and despertarse mean to wake up, despertarse is a reflexive verb. Reflexive verbs refer to something you're doing to yourself. You wake yourself up in the morning (despertarse) as compared to the noise outside wakes everyone in the building (despertar)

2. Levantarse means to get up where despertarse means to wake up. Usually you wake up before getting up. From a technical point of view, if you get up it is assumed that you're already awake. However, the sentence wanted despertarse.