일어나다
ireonada[iɾʌ̹na̠da̠]
To get up in Korean is 일어나다 (ireonada).
The verb 일어나다 is used both for the act of getting out of bed and the physical act of standing up from a seated position. While 일어나다 can mean to wake up, it specifically emphasizes the physical action of rising or getting out of bed, whereas 깨다 focuses on the mental state of waking from sleep.
Meaning: to rise from one's bed (verb)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The casual form 일어나 is used among friends and family. To be polite, you can use 일어나세요 to say "please get up" or "please stand up".
How does it change in a sentence?
The past tense form 일어났어요 is used to say that you have already gotten up or woken up.
How do you pronounce it?
ireonada
Did you know?
- Beyond waking up, 일어나다 is used to describe the occurrence of a disaster or a social movement, such as a fire or a revolution 'breaking out'.
- In Korean culture, the act of 'getting up' from a seated position often involves a specific social etiquette regarding who rises first based on seniority.
- In Middle Korean, the word was recorded as 니러나다, showing that the initial consonant sound has evolved significantly over the centuries.
Examples in context
- 일어나 주세요.Please get up.
- 일어나!Get up!
- 일어나봐!Wake up!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “get up” translations and entries 일어나다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 일어나다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
