起きる expresses waking up and getting up. The examples use polite everyday Japanese.
The idea
起きる is an ichidan verb. 起きます is polite non-past, 起きません negative, 起きました past and 起きて the て-form. に marks a specific clock time, as in 六時に. In these uses the verb is intransitive.
| Dictionary form | Polite non-past | Polite negative | Polite past | て-form | Plain negative |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 起きる | 起きます | 起きません | 起きました | 起きて | 起きない |
Examples
- 毎朝、六時に起きます。I get up at six every morning.
- 明日は七時に起きます。Tomorrow I will get up at seven.
- 昨日は遅く起きました。Yesterday I got up late.
- 日曜日は早く起きません。I do not get up early on Sundays.
- 朝起きて、水を飲みます。I get up in the morning and drink water.
- もう七時です。起きてください。It is already seven. Please get up.
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Watch out
起きる is ichidan: remove る and add て to get 起きて. 寝る refers to going to bed or sleeping instead.
Try it yourself
Choose the particle in brackets. 六時_起きます。(に/を)
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に
に is correct. に marks a specific clock time, as in 六時に.
Complete the ending to make the verb’s て-form. 朝起き_、水を飲みます。(起きる→て)
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て
て completes 起きて. 起きて is the て-form of 起きる; it joins actions or precedes ください in a request.
Complete the ending to make the polite past. 昨日、遅く起き_。(起きる→ました)
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ました
ました completes 起きました. 起きました is the polite past of 起きる; 昨日 places the event yesterday.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Choose the particle in brackets. 六時_起きます。(に/を)
Complete the ending to make the verb’s て-form. 朝起き_、水を飲みます。(起きる→て)
Complete the ending to make the polite past. 昨日、遅く起き_。(起きる→ました)
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Adapt an example with 起きる to your own life, then put it into the polite past. Check the particle and verb form.

