उठ्नु
uṭhnu[uʈʰɳu]
To wake up in Nepali is said as उठ्नु (uṭhnu) or जाग्नु.
Meaning: to (become) awake (verb)
Ways to say it
| Nepali | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| उठ्नु | uṭhnu | [uʈʰɳu] (narrow) |
| जाग्नु | jāgnu | [d͡zäɡ̞nu] (narrow) |
Both verbs can be used to express the concept of waking up, but they focus on different aspects of the process.
Which one should you use?
जाग्नु is specifically used for the transition from being asleep to being awake. In contrast, उठ्नु is more commonly used to describe the physical act of getting out of bed or standing up.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite imperative form of उठ्नु to say 'Wake up' or 'Get up' is उठ्नुहोस्. If you want to ask a question politely, such as 'Did you wake up / get up?', use उठ्नुभयो? For the third-person singular past tense of जाग्नु, meaning 'He/she woke up', use जाग्यो.
How do you pronounce it?
uṭhnu
Did you know?
- The word उठ्नु can also be used to describe a rebellion or a social uprising. In this context, it translates to 'rising up' against an authority rather than waking from sleep.
- In Nepali culture, the act of waking up जाग्नु is often linked to the spiritual concept of 'awakening' or 'consciousness'. The word is used both for opening one's eyes and for attaining a higher state of awareness.
- Because उठ्नु means both 'to wake up' and 'to stand up', it is also the word used when someone is asked to stand in respect for a guest or an elder.
Examples in context
- हाजुर, जाग्नुहोस्Sir/Madam, please wake up
- प्रवीण, जाग्नुहोस्। सूर्य उच्चमा पुग्न लागेको छ।Pravin, wake up. The sun is reaching its peak.
- बिहान छिट्टै उठ्नु पर्छ।Bihāna chiṭṭai uṭhnu parcha.One must wake up early in the morning.
Example conversation
Avinash is waking up Srijana in the morning.
- अविनाश Avinashसृजना, अब उठ्नुहोस्।Srijana, aba uthnuhos.Srijana, wake up now.
- सृजना Srijanaमलाई अझै निद्रा लागेको छ।Malai ajhai nidra lageko chha.I am still sleepy.
- अविनाश Avinashढिलो भयो, छिटो उठ्नुहोस्।Dhilo bhayo, chitto uthnuhos.It is late, wake up quickly.
- सृजना Srijanaठीक छ, म उठ्छु।Thik chha, ma uthchhu.Okay, I will wake up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wake up” translations and entries उठ्नु, जाग्नु, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
