起きる

• Reading: おきる
• Romaji: okiru
• Kanji breakdown: 起 (ki/o) — to rise, to wake up
• Pronunciation: /o.ki.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To get up; to wake up; to rise. Used for both waking from sleep and getting out of bed.

A Group 2 (ichidan) intransitive verb. Commonly used with time expressions to describe when one wakes up. Can also mean 'to occur' or 'to happen' when referring to events (事故が起きる). The transitive counterpart is 起こす (to wake someone up).

Examples

1. 毎朝六時に起きます。 I wake up at six every morning.
2. 今日は早く起きた。 I woke up early today.
3. 日曜日は遅く起きてもいいです。 It's okay to sleep in on Sundays.

Usage Guide

Context: morning routine, daily life, schedules

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From Old Japanese. The kanji 起 combines 走 (run) and 己 (self), suggesting the idea of raising oneself up to begin movement.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal