Translation guide
The act of rising from bed or from a seated/lying position. In Japanese, the most natural expression depends on the context: waking and rising in the morning, standing up from a chair, or getting up after a fall.
To express the action of waking up and leaving one's bed, typically in the morning.
The most common and general verb for 'to get up' from bed. It implies both waking and rising.
毎朝6時に起きる。
I get up at 6 every morning.
A more formal, written expression for 'getting up', often used in schedules or official contexts.
起床時間は7時です。
Wake-up time is 7 o'clock.
Literally 'to open one's eyes', meaning 'to wake up'. It focuses on the moment of waking, not necessarily getting out of bed.
大きな音で目を覚ました。
I woke up to a loud noise.
To express the physical action of rising to one's feet from a chair, floor, or after a fall.
The standard verb for 'to stand up'. Used when rising from a seated or crouching position.
椅子から立ち上がった。
I stood up from the chair.
Specifically means 'to get up' from a lying position, such as from bed or the floor.
Simply 'to stand'. Can imply the action of standing up, but is more about the state of being standing.
どうぞ立ってください。
Please stand up.
To express recovery and resuming activity after being bedridden or incapacitated.
Also used metaphorically for recovering from illness or difficulty and getting back on one's feet.
病気から起き上がるのに時間がかかった。
It took time to get back on my feet after the illness.
Means 'to return' or 'to come back', often used for returning to work or normal life after an absence.
彼は病気から復帰した。
He got back on his feet after his illness.
起きる (okiru) is intransitive: 'I get up'. 起こす (okosu) is transitive: 'to wake someone up' or 'to cause something to rise'. Do not confuse them.
母が私を起こした。
My mother woke me up.
Avoid directly translating 'get up' as 得る上がる or similar. Use the appropriate verb for the context.
転んだが、すぐに起き上がった。
I fell, but got up right away.