起

• Pinyin: qǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 起 = 走 (walk) + 己 (self, phonetic component)

Meaning

To rise; to get up; to start. A fundamental verb indicating upward movement or the beginning of an action.

Commonly used in compounds like 起床 (get out of bed), 起来 (get up/start), and 起飞 (take off). Also used as a complement after verbs to indicate the ability to afford something, as in 买得起 (can afford) and 买不起 (cannot afford).

Examples

1. 他每天六点就起了。 He gets up at six every day.
2. 你明天几点起？ What time will you get up tomorrow?
3. 我今天起得很早。 I got up very early today.

Usage Guide

Context: movement, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请起立！(Please stand up!)
• 我每天早上六点起。(I get up at six every morning.)

Don't Say

• 我要起了。(Incomplete on its own — say 我要起床了 for getting out of bed, or 我要起来了 for standing up)

Origin & History

Composed of 走 (walk) and 己 (self), originally meaning to rise or stand up by oneself.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal