起きる
毎朝6時に起きます。
I get up at six every morning.
to wake up; to get out of bed
彼は7時に起きた。
He woke up at seven.
彼女は朝早く起きるのが苦手だ。
She hates getting up early in the morning.
Used for waking up from sleep, not for being alert or conscious.
to happen; to occur; to take place
事件が起きた。
An incident occurred.
事故が起きないように注意してください。
Please be careful so that no accidents happen.
Often used in news or formal contexts to describe events.
Pro Tip
Polite vs. casual form
Use 起きます (okimasu) in formal situations or with strangers. Use 起きる (okiru) or 起きた (okita) in casual conversations with friends or family.
Gold Rule
Don't confuse with 起こす (okosu)
起こす means 'to wake someone up' or 'to cause something to happen' (e.g., 子供を起こす 'to wake up a child'). It is a transitive verb and requires a direct object.
Word Origin
From classical Japanese 起く (oku, 'to rise') + る (ru, verb suffix). The kanji 起 depicts a person rising from a kneeling position, symbolizing awakening or action.
Usage Notes
起きる is an intransitive verb and does not take a direct object. It is commonly used in daily conversation to describe waking up or events happening. The polite form is 起きます (okimasu).