What time frame does "de la madrugada" cover?
I understand it's in the wee hours of the morning, but does it start at 1 AM and goes to 5 AM or what?
(& does anyone have a good way to remember that word? I think its a "mad" hour but can't think of anything for the rest.
Thanks,
5 Answers
Yes, from 1am through 4am (to maybe at 5am 'pre-daybreak' I assume) is accurate (So I was told)
Seems slightly subjective, but not subjective enough to where it's not clear.
I have a great way for you to remember the word: Mercedes Sosa - Balderrama - Canta por la medianoche, llora por la madrugada
Either much too late or much too early for me- it depends on whether one belongs to the owl family or the family of the lark. 
I found that I had to leave my sense of time for various words behind as Spanish and Mexico in particular are not as fixated on exact time as I as was used to. It bothered me a lot at first that trying to get someone to tell you when they would arrive or meet you was worse than pulling teeth. And they used words like un momento, un rato, pronto, etc which can very from a few minutes to hours. Words like amenacer, atardecer, mañana, tarde, noche are all very flexible. So I give you a song by Brooks & Dunn.
For me, it would be how I feel early in the morning. (like I had been drugged) hence "madrugada."
The dictionary says at dawn, which would mean at first light, even before the sunrise. The other folks would have better answers but for me, a countryman, "madrugada" means when the rural farmers would have to arise and take care of their stock first, and then eat their breakfast while the city folks were just waking. Hence, 4 - 8 am. Maybe in Spanish speaking countries (because of the latitude) it would be an hour later.
Welcome to the forum. Bienvenidos al foro!
Madrugada. Pertains to the very early part of the morning. It’s not as time (hourly) specific as one might think. It’s more a generalized term. (madrugada) Think of the first part of it’s spelling “madr” as madre –or- “mother/moma” u= you , gada =gotta, get home. So, “Moma you got to get home”, its almost dawn (el amanecer).
Have fun! Viejito
