How to say "awaken" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 覚ますさますgodan verb, transitive verbCovers the literal sense: arousing someone from sleep. It centers on the sleep itself ending rather than on the person getting up, as when you wake a child napping on the sofa.
- 呼び起こすよびおこすgodan verb, transitive verbCovers waking someone by calling for them — rousing a sleeper by calling their name. It is not the word you want for simply waking a person; choose it when the calling itself is the point.
- 目が覚めるめがさめるexpression, ichidan verb, intransitive verbIntransitive; it can describe literally waking from sleep, but as 'awaken' it is chiefly figurative: awakening to the truth, coming to a realization, or coming to one's senses, as when someone admits they were wrong.
- 起こすおこすgodan verb, transitive verbThe all-purpose transitive verb for waking someone, covering both rousing a sleeper and getting a person up. It is the default for 'wake someone up', as when a parent wakes the children for school.
For waking a person, 「起こす」 is the all-purpose transitive choice, 「覚ます」 centers on arousing someone from sleep, 「呼び起こす」 adds the nuance of waking by calling out, and 「目が覚める」 is intransitive, covering waking up and awakening to the truth.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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