Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 起きる | okiru | [o̞kʲiɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 目覚める | mezameru | [me̞za̠me̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 目を覚ます | me o samasu | [me̞ o̞ sa̠ma̠sɨ] (narrow) |
| 覚める | sameru | [sa̠me̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
Japanese uses different words for waking up depending on whether you mean the physical act of getting out of bed, the physiological act of eyes opening or a metaphorical awakening. 起きる is a common way to say 'to wake up' or 'to get up'. 目覚める is often used in more poetic, dramatic or metaphorical contexts, such as a 'spiritual awakening' or a 'new era dawning'.
Which one should you use?
While 起きる is often translated as 'wake up', it specifically refers to the physical act of getting out of bed or rising from a sitting/lying position. The phrase 目が覚める focuses on the physiological transition from sleep to being awake, rather than the physical act of getting out of bed.
How does it change in a sentence?
起きる is an intransitive verb, meaning it describes a state or an action the subject does themselves, rather than an action done to an object.
How do you pronounce it?
okiru
Did you know?
- The word 起きる is used to describe not only waking up but also the occurrence of an event, such as an accident or an earthquake.
- The verb 起きる is actually a descendant of a much more complex grammatical pattern from ancient Japanese called 'upper bigrade conjugation'.
- The phrase 目を覚ます focuses on the eyes, and in some contexts, it can be used to describe the act of regaining consciousness after being unconscious.
Examples in context
- 起きろ！起きるんだ！Wake up! It's time to wake up!This example shows how to use the command form of 起きる.Tatoeba #11610227 by small_snow, translation #12972993 by terrywallwork
- 私は朝早く目が覚める。I wake up early.This sentence uses 覚める to describe waking up early.Tatoeba #155040 by bunbuku, translation #259499 by CK
- 目覚めるまで長かった。It took me a long time to wake up.This sentence uses 目覚める to describe the duration of the waking process.Tatoeba #11041405 by bunbuku, translation #12615439 by urro
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking in the morning at home.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、もう起きたの？Ren-kun, mou okita no?Ren, are you already awake?
- 蓮 Renうん、さっき起きたよ。Un, sakki okita yo.Yeah, I woke up a little while ago.
- 陽葵 Himari早起きだね。Hayaoki dane.You're an early riser.
- 蓮 Ren明日はもっと早く起きるよ。Ashita wa motto hayaku okiru yo.I will wake up even earlier tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wake up” translations and entries 起きる, 目覚める, 目を覚ます, 覚める, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 目を覚ます, 起きる, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
