wakker worden
/ˈʋɑkər ˈʋɔrdə(n)/word by word
To wake up in Dutch is wakker worden. Wiktionary also lists ontwaken.
Meaning: to (become) awake (verb)
Ways to say it
| Dutch | IPA |
|---|---|
| wakker worden | /ˈʋɑkər ˈʋɔrdə(n)/ (word by word) |
| ontwaken | /ˌɔntˈʋaːkə(n)/ |
The phrase is used to describe the process of transitioning from sleep to being awake.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, wakker worden means 'awake become'.
Which one should you use?
While both forms refer to the act of waking, wakker worden describes the process of waking up, whereas ontwaken is a more formal or poetic term for the same event.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the third person singular present tense, the phrase becomes wordt wakker. The past participle of the verb 'worden' used in this phrase is geworden.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʋɑkər ˈʋɔrdə(n)/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse wakker worden, which means to wake up oneself, with wakker maken, which means to wake someone else up.
Did you know?
- In Dutch, if you want to say you are 'wide awake', you use the phrase glashelder wakker, which literally means 'crystal clear awake'.
- The word wakker is a cognate of the German word wacker, but in German it has shifted to mean 'stalwart' or 'brave' rather than 'awake'.
- In Dutch culture, it is common to use the phrase wakker worden metaphorically to describe a society or person finally realizing a truth.
Examples in context
- Kom op, wakker worden.Come on, wake up.This sentence shows how to use wakker worden as an imperative to encourage someone to wake up.Tatoeba #8570009 by Micsmithel, translation #54227 by CK
- Wakker worden, school begint zo.Wake up, school will start soon.This sentence uses wakker worden to signal that it is time to wake up because school is starting.Tatoeba #11869914 by Slam4, translation #11869920 by Slam4
- "Wakker worden!" "Ik ben wakker!""Wake up!" "I am awake!"This sentence demonstrates a typical exchange using wakker worden to call someone and the response indicating they are now awake.Tatoeba #11781484 by Micsmithel, translation #9480089 by sundown
- Wakker worden! Het is tijd voor ontbijt!Wake up! It's time for breakfast!
- Gelieve morgen vroeg wakker te worden voor de vergadering.Please wake up early for the meeting tomorrow.
- Mam, word wakker! De zon schijnt fel.Mom, wake up! The sun is shining brightly.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Levi is trying to wake Sophie up on a Saturday morning.
- LeviSophie, is het tijd om wakker worden?Sophie, is it time to wake up?
- SophieNee, ik wil nog slapen.No, I still want to sleep.
- LeviJe moet nu wakker worden voor het ontbijt.You have to wake up now for breakfast.
- SophieOké, ik kom eraan.Okay, I'm coming.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wake up” translations and entries wakker worden, ontwaken, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (wakker, worden) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ontwaken, wakker, worden, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
