Translation guide
The English phrase 'wake up' covers both the act of ceasing to sleep and the act of causing someone to stop sleeping. Japanese uses different verbs for these, and also distinguishes between waking up naturally and getting out of bed.
7時に起きます。
I wake up at 7.
8時に起こしてください。
Wake me up at 8.
To cease sleeping, to become awake after sleep.
The most common and general verb for waking up. It can mean both waking up and getting up out of bed.
毎朝6時に起きる。
I wake up at 6 every morning.
昨夜は何度も起きた。
I woke up many times last night.
Literally 'eyes become clear/awake'. Emphasizes the moment of becoming conscious, often used for natural or spontaneous waking.
大きな音で目が覚めた。
I woke up because of a loud noise.
朝日で目が覚めるのは気持ちがいい。
It feels good to wake up with the morning sun.
Literally 'to clear one's eyes'. Can be used intransitively to mean waking up, but often implies a deliberate or sudden awakening. Also used figuratively for 'come to one's senses'.
More commonly used transitively (see next meaning). As intransitive, it can sound a bit literary or emphatic.
彼はやっと目を覚ました。
He finally woke up (came to his senses).
To rouse someone from sleep, to awaken another person.
The standard transitive verb meaning 'to wake someone up'. Used for waking family members, friends, etc.
明日7時に起こしてください。
Please wake me up at 7 tomorrow.
母が私を起こした。
My mother woke me up.
Causative form of 目を覚ます, meaning 'to make someone wake up'. More emphatic or forceful than 起こす.
彼を目を覚まさせるのは大変だ。
It's hard to wake him up.
To leave one's bed after waking, to get up.
Same verb as 'wake up', but context usually makes it clear whether it means waking or getting up. Often used with time expressions.
もう起きなさい！
Get up already!
Literally 'to get out of the futon/bed'. Emphasizes the physical action of leaving the bedding.
寒くて布団から出られない。
It's so cold I can't get out of bed.
Formal term for 'getting up', used in official contexts like hotels, hospitals, or schedules.
起床時間は6時です。
Wake-up time is 6 o'clock.
To become aware of something, to stop being naive or inattentive.
Figurative use meaning 'to wake up to reality', 'to come to one's senses', or 'to realize the truth'.
現実に目を覚ませ。
Wake up to reality.
彼はようやく自分の間違いに目を覚ました。
He finally woke up to his own mistake.
Also used figuratively for a sudden realization or enlightenment, often from an external stimulus.
起きる is the general verb for waking and getting up. 目が覚める focuses on the moment of regaining consciousness. Use 起きる for daily routines; use 目が覚める when emphasizing the cause or suddenness of waking.
毎朝起きるのがつらい。
It's hard to wake up every morning.
地震で目が覚めた。
I was woken up by the earthquake.
起こす (okosu) is transitive: 'to wake someone up'. 起きる (okiru) is intransitive: 'to wake up (oneself)'. Using the wrong one changes the meaning completely.
私は6時に起きる。
I wake up at 6.
私は子供を6時に起こす。
I wake my child up at 6.
その言葉で目が覚めた。
Those words woke me up (made me realize).