Word
覚める
Meaning in Englishwake up, awaken, come to senses
Animated kanji stroke order
Word context
What it means
覚める means to wake up or become conscious after sleep, or to become aware of a fact or situation; it signifies a transition from an unconscious or dreamy state to clarity and is used as an intransitive ru-verb for both physical waking and figurative realization.
Main meanings
- wake up physically from sleep or from a dream
- become aware or realize something, i.e., come to one’s senses
- be awakened to reality or have an illusion dispelled
How to use it
覚める is used in casual and formal speech as an intransitive ru-verb. Common idioms include 目が覚める to wake up, and 夢から覚める to wake from a dream; in more reflective or narrative contexts you may encounter phrases that mean awakening to reality, while polite speech uses 目が覚めました to indicate morning waking.
Variants and close terms
- 目が覚める (me ga sameru) – wake up
- 目覚める (mezameru) – awakening, to become conscious or realize
- 覚ます (samasu) – to wake someone else up
Composition
- 覚: core sense of awakening, perception and memory; the root meaning relates to becoming aware
- る: verb ending that marks an ichidan (ru) verb
Word class
verb (ru-verb, ichidan)