起きる vs 生じる
Japanese word comparison
Listen to 起きる
Listen to 生じる
| 起きる | 生じる |
|---|---|
o-KI-ru verb (intransitive, ru-verb) | しょうじる (shoujiru) verb (intransitive, ru-verb) |
| to wake up; to get up; to occur (an event) | to arise; to occur; to result (used for problems, effects, phenomena) |
How they differ
生じる is more formal and typically used for abstract events or consequences (e.g., problems, effects) and often implies something arises from a cause; 起きる is more neutral and colloquial and can also refer to physically waking up.
When to use each
When to use 起きる: Prefer 起きる when speaking casually about an event happening or about waking/getting up in everyday situations.
When to use 生じる: Use 生じる in written, technical, or formal contexts when describing that an issue or phenomenon has arisen.
Side-by-side examples
- 会議中に問題が起きた。
(A problem came up during the meeting.) - 会議中に問題が生じた。
(A problem arose during the meeting.)
Register & nuance: 生じる is more formal and common in written or technical language; 起きる is neutral and more common in spoken language.