起こす

• Reading: おこす
• Romaji: okosu
• Kanji breakdown: 起 (ki/o) — rise, wake up, cause
• Pronunciation: /o.ko.sɯ/

Meaning

To wake someone up; to cause something to happen; to raise upright.

A Group 1 (godan) transitive verb. The intransitive counterpart is 起きる (to wake up). Has three main uses: waking someone (子供を起こす), causing an event (事故を起こす), and raising something upright (倒れた自転車を起こす).

Examples

1. 毎朝六時に母が私を起こします。 My mom wakes me up at six every morning.
2. 大きな音を出して事故を起こさないでください。 Please don't make loud noises and cause an accident.
3. 倒れた椅子を起こしてくれますか。 Could you pick up the fallen chair?

Usage Guide

Context: morning routine, daily life, incidents

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 起 combines 走 (run) and 己 (self), depicting the motion of rising up from a resting position.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal