目覚める・目醒める|めざめるmezameru[3]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
目覚める目覚める is the most common form and the one beginners should use. It is written with kanji and kana.
目醒める目醒める is a rarely used alternative written with kanji and kana; you will seldom encounter it.
Definitions
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbto wake up; to awake
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbto awaken to (instinct, ability, perception, etc.); to become aware of; to become conscious of; to realize
- ichidan verb, intransitive verbto come to one's senses
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 目覚める（めざめる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 目覚めます（めざめます） |
| Negative (nai) | 目覚めない（めざめない） |
| polite (masen) | 目覚めません（めざめません） |
| classical zu / nu | 目覚めず・目覚めぬ（めざめず・めざめぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 目覚めた（めざめた） |
| polite (mashita) | 目覚めました（めざめました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 目覚めなかった（めざめなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 目覚めませんでした（めざめませんでした） |
| Te form | 目覚めて（めざめて） |
| Potential | 目覚められる（めざめられる） |
| Passive | 目覚められる（めざめられる） |
| Causative | 目覚めさせる（めざめさせる） |
| Causative passive | 目覚めさせられる（めざめさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 目覚めれば（めざめれば） |
| tara | 目覚めたら（めざめたら） |
| Volitional | 目覚めよう（めざめよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 目覚めましょう（めざめましょう） |
| Imperative | 目覚めろ（めざめろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym覚めるさめるNeutralCovers waking up, sobering up and disillusionment, but not 「目覚める」's sense of awakening to or becoming aware of something.
- Synonym起きるおきるNeutralMeans getting up or rising, and is the most colloquial of these; 「目覚める」 centers on waking from sleep or awakening to something.
- Synonym覚醒かくせいWrittenA written-style word for awakening or regaining consciousness, as in 「意識が覚醒する」; 「目覚める」 is the more everyday choice.
- Related寝覚めるねざめるWrittenWritten style and rare; it means simply waking from sleep. In everyday speech, 「目が覚める」 is the usual way to say it.
- Antonym眠るねむるNeutralThe opposite of 「目覚める」 on the sleep side: it means to sleep.
- Antonym寝入るねいるNeutralAlso opposite to 「目覚める」 in the sleep–wake pairing: it means to fall asleep.
Use 「目覚める」 for waking from sleep and for awakening to or realizing something, as in 「才能に目覚める」. For sobering up or disillusionment use 「覚める」, for getting up 「起きる」, and in formal prose 「覚醒」. The opposites are 「眠る」 and 「寝入る」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
