Accidents 'stand up' too — 起きる rises from flat to upright

Where the picture shows up in 起きる

1. 1

   A lying body comes upright

   毎朝六時に起きます。

   maiasa roku-ji ni oki-masu

   I get up at six every morning.

   The quilt is thrown back and the body goes from flat to standing.

2. 2

   Staying upright

   昨日は遅くまで起きていました。

   kinō wa osoku made okite i-mashita

   I was up late last night.

   Late at night someone sits alone in a room with the light still on.

   起きている means 'be awake' — the state, not the act of rising.

3. 3

   Pushing the chest up

   ゆっくり起きてください。

   yukkuri okite kudasai

   Please sit up slowly.

   In bed an arm braces the mattress and the chest comes up slowly.

   This is what staff say to a patient in hospital.

4. 4

   An event rises up

   工場で事故が起きました。

   kōjō de jiko ga oki-mashita

   There was an accident at the factory.

   In the middle of a quiet workshop an accident rises up into everyone's view.

   Japanese says 事故が起きる — the event itself stands up.

5. 5

   A problem standing there

   機械に問題が起きています。

   kikai ni mondai ga okite i-masu

   A problem has come up with the machine.

   Inside the machine one problem lifts its head and keeps standing there.