일어나다
ireonada[iɾʌ̹na̠da̠]
The English phrase "wake up" can be translated into Korean as 일어나다 (ireonada). Wiktionary also lists 눈뜨다 (nuntteuda).
Meaning: to (become) awake (verb)
Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 일어나다 | ireonada | [iɾʌ̹na̠da̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
| 눈뜨다 | nuntteuda | [nunt͈ɯda̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
To express the concept of waking up or getting up, use 일어나다. This term covers both the transition from sleep to being awake and the physical movement of getting out of bed.
Which one should you use?
While 일어나다 refers to both waking and getting up, 눈뜨다 specifically describes the moment of opening one's eyes to wake up. Use 눈뜨다 when you want to emphasize the visual act of opening one's eyes rather than the physical act of leaving the bed.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you want to say that you woke up or got up in a polite, informal style, you can use the past tense form 일어났어요.
How do you pronounce it?
ireonada
Did you know?
- In Korean, 일어나다 is used to describe the start of an event, such as an accident or a fire, as if the event has 'risen' or 'woken up'.
- The word 일어나다 can be used to describe a social or political uprising, linking the act of waking up to a revolution.
- The verb 뜨다 in 눈뜨다 is a versatile word that can also mean 'to float', implying a sense of things lifting or appearing.
Examples in context
- 선생님이 아침에 잠이 깼어요.The teacher woke up in the morning.
- 오늘 아침 일찍 깨어나셨어요.You woke up early this morning.
- 친구야, 아침에 일어나!Hey, wake up in the morning!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wake up” translations and entries 일어나다, 눈뜨다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
