起床

きしょう

rising, getting out of bed

JLPT N2

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"起床" (きしょう) specifically means "getting out of bed" or "rising" in the morning. It is a formal or neutral term often used in written or polite contexts rather than casual speech.

Common Contexts

You will frequently see 起床 used in schedules, health advice, or formal descriptions of daily routines. It emphasizes the act of leaving the bed rather than just waking up mentally.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 起床時間 (きしょうじかん): wake-up time, used when talking about the specific time someone gets out of bed.
  • 起床する: to get up, a common verb phrase.
  • 起床後 (きしょうご): after getting up, used to describe actions following waking.

Register and Nuance

While 起床 is polite and somewhat formal, in casual conversation people often use 起きる (おきる) to mean "get up." Using 起床 can sound more official or clinical.

Common Mistake

Learners sometimes confuse 起床 with just waking up (目が覚める). Remember, 起床 implies physically getting out of bed, not just opening your eyes.

Example Sentences

まいあさろくじにきしょうしてジョギングをします。

I get up at 6 every morning and go jogging.

きしょうじかんがおそいと、いちにちがみじかくかんじます。

If you get up late, the day feels shorter.

かれはまいにちおなじじかんにきしょうするしゅうかんがあります。

He has a habit of getting up at the same time every day.