覚(さ)める

さめる
verb (ichidan)
to wake up, to come to one's senses
1. to wake up
To stop sleeping.
朝(あさ)6時(じ)に目(め)が覚(さ)めた。
I woke up at 6 in the morning.
夢(ゆめ)から覚(さ)める。
To wake from a dream.
夜中(よなか)に目(め)が覚(さ)めた。
I woke up in the middle of the night.
物音(ものおと)で目(め)が覚(さ)めた。
I was woken by a noise.
すっかり}{目(め)が覚(さ)めた。
I'm fully awake now.
2. to sober up, to come to one's senses
To become clear-headed again.
酔(よ)いが覚(さ)めた。
I sobered up.
恋(こい)から覚(さ)める。
To fall out of love.
熱(ねつ)が覚(さ)めた。
The fever broke.
興味(きょうみ)が覚(さ)めた。
I lost interest.
幻想(げんそう)から覚(さ)めた。
I was disillusioned.

覚(さ)める means to wake up (from sleep) or to come to one's senses.

TRANSITIVITY:

  • Type: 自動詞(じどうし) (intransitive)
  • Pair: 覚(さ)ます (transitive, to wake someone)

ASPECT (ている):
目(め)が覚(さ)めている means "is awake" (state), not "is waking up."

COMMON PATTERNS:

  • 目(め)が覚(さ)める: to wake up
  • 夢(ゆめ)から覚(さ)める: to wake from a dream
  • 酔(よ)いが覚(さ)める: to sober up
  • 恋(こい)から覚(さ)める: to fall out of love

HOMOPHONE (different kanji):

  • 覚(さ)める: to wake up, to sober up
  • 冷(さ)める: to cool down (temperature)

Both have the same transitivity pair pattern with 覚(さ)ます and 冷(さ)ます.

core
Added 2026.1.9 21:12 · Revised 2026.1.29 18:01
02000/02058_sameru