hei2 san1起身
Jyutpinghei2 san1
Yalehéi sān
Definition
To wake up, get out of bed, or stand up from another position.
- to wake up; to get out of bed
- to stand up; to rise
colloquialdaily actionstime
How it's used
Primarily refers to the act of getting out of bed rather than just the moment of opening one's eyes. While it can technically mean to stand up from a chair, it is overwhelmingly used in the context of waking up and leaving the bed in daily life.
Examples
What time did you wake up today?
I just woke up, I'm still very sleepy.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 醒, which specifically means the moment of waking up from sleep. You can be 醒 (awake) while still lying in bed, but you are only 起身 once you physically leave the bed.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- How oftenUsually, sometimes, all the time, rarely, never. All five sit in one slot, between the subject and the verb.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
