Japanese word

起こす

Pronunciation

Romajiokosu

Meaning

  • verbwake

Example

母は毎朝私を起こします。haha wa mai asa watashi o o ko shi ma su

My mother wakes me up every morning.

Illustration for 起こす (wake)

More examples

目覚まし時計が私を起こします。me za ma shi tokei ga watashi o o ko shi ma su

The alarm clock wakes me up.

休日でも、私は七時に起こされます。kyū jitsu de mo watashi wa nana ji ni o ko sa re ma su

Even on holidays, I am woken up at seven.

Core concept

Moves someone or something from a resting state into activity, or makes an event happen.

Common phrases

  • 人を起こすhito o o ko su

    wake someone up

Similar words

覚ますsamasu: To cause a sleeping person to stop sleeping.

Definition in Japanese

眠っている人が目を覚ますようにする。nemu tte i ru hito ga me o sa ma su yō ni su ru

Word origin

起こす (okosu) is a native Japanese verb formed from the same root as 起きる (okiru, "to get up"), with a transitive meaning of making another person get up.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, a person can 起こす (okosu) someone for school or work, while the person who wakes up uses 起きる (okiru).

Other meanings

  • raiseverb
  • causeverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 起こし方okoshikataway to wake someone upnoun

Word lists with this word