起こす・起す|おこすokosu[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
起こす起こす is the most common written form of the verb and the recommended choice for learners. Use it when writing the verb rather than choosing a less common variant.
起す起す is a less common written variant of 起こす. You may encounter it, but learners should normally choose 起こす instead.
Definitions
- godan verb, transitive verbto raise; to raise up; to set up; to pick up
- godan verb, transitive verbto wake; to wake up; to waken; to awaken
- godan verb, transitive verbto cause; to bring about; to lead to; to trigger; to give rise to; to create; to generate (e.g. heat, electricity); to produceこれが彼にかんしゃくを起こさせた。↗This flung him into a passion.
- godan verb, transitive verbto start; to begin; to launch; to establish; to found; to set up; to open
- godan verb, transitive verbto plough; to plow; to till
- godan verb, transitive verbto fall ill with
- godan verb, transitive verbto transcribe; to write down (what is spoken)
- godan verb, transitive verbto turn over (a card)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 起こす（おこす） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 起こします（おこします） |
| Negative (nai) | 起こさない（おこさない） |
| polite (masen) | 起こしません（おこしません） |
| classical zu / nu | 起こさず・起こさぬ（おこさず・おこさぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 起こした（おこした） |
| polite (mashita) | 起こしました（おこしました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 起こさなかった（おこさなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 起こしませんでした（おこしませんでした） |
| Te form | 起こして（おこして） |
| Potential | 起こせる（おこせる） |
| Passive | 起こされる（おこされる） |
| Causative | 起こさせる（おこさせる） |
| Causative passive | 起こさせられる（おこさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 起こせば（おこせば） |
| tara | 起こしたら（おこしたら） |
| Volitional | 起こそう（おこそう） |
| polite (mashou) | 起こしましょう（おこしましょう） |
| Imperative | 起こせ（おこせ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
彼が起きる
彼を起こす
起きる focuses on the subject’s own rising or waking (彼が起きる); 起こす focuses on making someone rise or wake (彼を起こす).
事故を起こす
起こる presents an event as occurring on its own (事故が起こる), while 起こす presents an agent causing it (事故を起こす).
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym引き起こすひきおこすNeutralFor causing incidents or problems, as in 「事故を引き起こす」; it also covers pulling up something that has fallen. It puts more weight on the consequences than 「起こす」.
- Synonym呼び起こすよびおこすNeutralWakes a sleeping person, or evokes memories and interest, as in 「記憶を呼び起こす」; the focus is on drawing out what lies within the mind.
- Synonym誘発ゆうはつWrittenWritten/formal prose: something serves as the trigger that induces accidents, illness and the like, as in 「事故を誘発する」; stresses indirect triggering.
- Synonym誘起ゆうきWrittenWritten/formal prose: one factor induces a phenomenon; found mainly in physics, chemistry and medicine. In everyday speech say 「引き起こす」.
- Synonym惹起じゃっきWrittenWritten/formal prose for stirring up problems or incidents, as in 「混乱を惹起する」; seen in official documents and news. Everyday use calls for 「引き起こす」.
- Related生ずるしょうずるWrittenWritten/formal prose meaning to arise or be produced; works as both transitive and intransitive, as in 「誤解が生ずる」. No sense of raising or waking someone.
- Related生むうむNeutralLiterally to give birth, by extension to create something new, as in 「利益を生む」; 「起こす」 instead centers on triggering events or phenomena.
- Related招くまねくNeutralLiterally to beckon or invite, by extension to invite consequences, as in 「誤解を招く」; the stress is on results brought by one's own behavior.
- Related生じるしょうじるWrittenMeans to occur or arise, as in 「問題が生じる」; more common than 「生ずる」, usable both transitively and intransitively, with a written/formal tone.
- Related呼ぶよぶNeutralLiterally to call or summon, by extension to draw a response, as in 「人気を呼ぶ」 or 「話題を呼ぶ」; the focus is on attracting reactions from others.
- Related仕掛けるしかけるNeutralSets a device or picks a fight, as in 「罠を仕掛ける」 or 「けんかを仕掛ける」; the stress is on deliberate design and taking the initiative.
- RelatedきたすWrittenWritten/formal prose for bringing on bad results, as in 「支障を来す」; what it causes is usually unwelcome. It never means helping someone up or waking them.
- Related呼び覚ますよびさますNeutralWakes a sleeping person or calls back memories and feelings, as in 「懐かしさを呼び覚ます」; often used for rousing dormant emotions.
- Related叩き起こすたたきおこすCasualColloquial: to wake someone roughly, as in 「夜中に叩き起こされた」; 「起こす」 carries no hint of roughness.
- Antonym倒すたおすNeutralAntonym to the raising and helping-up senses of 「起こす」: to knock or lay down, as in 「木を倒す」; it can also mean defeating an opponent.
- Antonym伏せるふせるNeutralLays something face down or upside down, or lowers the head and eyes, as in 「本を伏せる」; opposite of 「起こす」 in the sense of setting upright.
- Antonym転かすこかすCasualKansai colloquialism for knocking something over, as in 「コップを転かす」; opposite of 「起こす」 in the sense of setting upright.
「起こす」 is the default for helping someone up, waking someone, or causing something. To stress the consequences of causing something, use 「引き起こす」; for bringing on bad results, 「来す」 or 「招く」; for evoking memories, 「呼び起こす」. The opposite is 「倒す」.
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
