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/Sounds like "mah" (as in "mark") + "droo" (as in "drew") + "GAHR" (as in "garden")/

Meaning

To wake up very early, before dawn or at the crack of day. In Mexico and Central America, madrugar is treated as a virtue: the one who rises early gets ahead. It also works figuratively to mean getting a head start on something or beating someone to the punch.

Examples

We need to get up early tomorrow to beat the crowds.

The early bird catches the worm.

Regional synonyms

To be in a bad mood or on a bad luck streak in Mexico and Colombia, when everything goes sideways and the universe seems to have it out for you. Can refer to bad luck, bad temper, or both at the same time.