How do you say "to wake up" in Japanese?

起こす

okosu

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to wake up" is 起こす (okosu).

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Pronunciation

起こす is written using kanji. Romanised as okosu, it sounds roughly like "oh-koh-soo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

The kanji 起 shows a person getting up from lying down, depicting waking or rousing from sleep.

Example sentence

私は起こすことが好きです。

Watashi wa okosu koto ga suki desu.

I enjoy wake uping.

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How to remember 起こす

A person rising from bed. Picture someone's eyes opening and their body lifting up to start the day.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 起こす

How do you pronounce 起こす?

起こす is romanised as okosu. Say it roughly like "oh-koh-soo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 起こす formal or casual?

起こす is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 起こす written in Japanese?

起こす is written using kanji. The kanji 起 shows a person getting up from lying down, depicting waking or rousing from sleep..

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"To wake up" in other languages

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