起こる・起る|おこるokoru[2]nakadaka (mid-high)
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Which spelling to use
起こる起こる（おこる） is the more common written form. Learners should use it for the meaning “to occur; to happen.”
起る起る（おこる） is a less common written variant of 起こる（おこる）. Learners may encounter it, but should normally choose 起こる（おこる）.
Definitions
- godan verb, intransitive verbto occur; to happenあとで起こったことはなお悪かった。↗What followed was still worse.
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 起こる（おこる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 起こります（おこります） |
| Negative (nai) | 起こらない（おこらない） |
| polite (masen) | 起こりません（おこりません） |
| classical zu / nu | 起こらず・起こらぬ（おこらず・おこらぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 起こった（おこった） |
| polite (mashita) | 起こりました（おこりました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 起こらなかった（おこらなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 起こりませんでした（おこりませんでした） |
| Te form | 起こって（おこって） |
| Potential | 起これる（おこれる） |
| Passive | 起こられる（おこられる） |
| Causative | 起こらせる（おこらせる） |
| Causative passive | 起こらせられる・起こらされる（おこらせられる・おこらされる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 起これば（おこれば） |
| tara | 起こったら（おこったら） |
| Volitional | 起ころう（おころう） |
| polite (mashou) | 起こりましょう（おこりましょう） |
| Imperative | 起これ（おこれ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Transitive / intransitive pair
事故が起こる
起こる presents an event as occurring spontaneously or without a specified agent (事故が起こる 'an accident occurs'), while 起こす focuses on the agent that causes the event (事故を起こす 'cause an accident').
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym発生はっせいNeutralNeutral Sino-Japanese noun for accidents, disasters and problems occurring; common in news reports; 「起こる」 is the more colloquial choice.
- Synonym生じるしょうじるNeutralNeutral, leaning written: to arise or be produced, said mostly of problems, differences and misunderstandings.
- Synonym生ずるしょうずるWrittenLiterary variant of 「生じる」, seen in official documents and legal texts, as in 「効力を生ずる」; in daily speech say 「起こる」.
- Synonym生起せいきWrittenWritten/formal and rare: the occurrence of phenomena or events, seen in academic articles.
- Related持ち上がるもちあがるNeutralSaid of problems or matters suddenly coming up, as in 「問題が持ち上がる」; its literal sense is being lifted.
- Related起きるおきるNeutralCommon in everyday speech for things happening, and also for getting up; in the sense of occurring it is basically interchangeable with 「起こる」.
- Related沸き起こるわきおこるNeutralApplause, cheers or emotions welling up from a crowd or from within, not events in general.
- Related湧くわくNeutralSpring water gushing out, and feelings or interest arising naturally, as in 「興味が湧く」.
- Related湧き上がるわきあがるNeutralEmotions, voices, clouds or mist surging up, as in 「歓声が湧き上がる」; unlike 「起こる」, it describes a surge rather than an event simply happening.
- Antonym収まるおさまるNeutralSaid of a commotion or disturbance settling down, the opposite of one occurring (「起こる」).
- Antonym終わるおわるNeutralFor things coming to an end; it stands at the finish where 「起こる」 marks the start.
For things or phenomena happening, 「起こる」 is the default, with 「起きる」 interchangeable in that sense. News reports of accidents use 「発生」; problems and differences take 「生じる」 (「生ずる」 in legal prose); academic writing uses 「生起」. Problems suddenly coming up: 「持ち上がる」. Emotions or cheers surging up: 「湧き上がる」, 「沸き起こる」 or 「湧く」. Opposites: 「収まる」 (settling down) and 「終わる」 (ending).
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
