Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "起きます" vs "とても"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
起きます
おきます (okimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
とても
とても (totemo)
N4 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 起きます and とても are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
起きます (おきます (okimasu)) represents "to get up, to wake up" (Level: N5) and typically represents Polite form of 起こす.
On the other hand, とても (とても (totemo)) translates to "very, extremely" (Level: N4) and is used for Adverb used to emphasize the degree of an adjective or verb, meaning 'very' or 'extremely'. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "起きます"
私は毎朝6時に起きます。
I wake up at 6 AM every morning.
Bilingual Sentence for "とても"
このケーキはとても美味しいです。
This cake is very delicious.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "私は毎朝6時に ＿＿＿ 。" (Meaning: "I wake up at 6 AM every morning.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "起きます" fits here because it represents "to get up, to wake up" in the context: "I wake up at 6 AM every morning.".