hei2 cong4起牀起床

Jyutpinghei2 cong4

Yalehéi chòhng

動詞

Definition

To get out of bed; to get up.

colloquialdaily actions

How it's used

While 起牀 is perfectly understood, native speakers overwhelmingly prefer the simpler 起身 in daily conversation. Using 起牀 often sounds slightly more formal or descriptive, similar to how one might use 'arise' versus 'get up' in English. It is common to hear people use 起身 for the physical act of getting out of bed, whereas 起牀 can sometimes feel like a more deliberate action of ending one's sleep session.

Examples

nei5你gam1今jat6日gei2幾dim2點hei2起cong4牀aa4呀？

What time did you get up today?

ngo5我ngaam1啱ngaam1啱sin1先hei2起cong4牀，zung6仲hou2好ngaan5眼fan3瞓。

I just got up, still very sleepy.

Common phrases

hei2起cong4牀hei3氣

morning grumpiness

Common mistake

Learners often over-rely on 起牀 because it matches the written Chinese character set, but it can sound a bit stiff or textbook-like in casual settings. Stick to 起身 for natural, everyday speech.