English–Chinese
“be startled awake” in Chinese
Chinese
Pronunciation
Pinyinjīng xǐng
Example
外面的喊声把他惊醒了。wài miàn de hǎn shēng bǎ tā jīng xǐng le
The shout outside startled him awake.
How to say “be startled awake” in Chinese
“Be startled awake” in Chinese is 惊醒 (jīng xǐng).
A surprise cuts through sleep, leaving the sleeper suddenly awake and alert.
Example sentences with 惊醒
他从噩梦中惊醒过来，心跳很快。tā cóng è mèng zhōng jīng xǐng guò lái xīn tiào hěn kuài
He woke up from a nightmare with a start, and his heart was beating fast.
Tips for using 惊醒
- Chinese can use this verb with the sleeper as its subject or with the sleeper as its object, so English may need either an intransitive or a causative expression.