Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
起床 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
起床qǐchuángto get out of bedHSK 1, v, rank #2860, Easy
起床qǐchuángto get upHSK 1, v, rank #2860, Easy
qǐchuáng(qi3chuang2) T3
  1. 1to get out of bed
  2. 2to get up
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
起床qǐchuáng(qi3chuang2)

起床 (qǐ chuáng) means 'to get out of bed' or 'to get up.' This action typically occurs in the morning when one wakes up and leaves their sleeping place. It is commonly used in daily conversations about routines and schedules.

Frequency#2860DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, getting up early is often associated with diligence and productivity, reflecting the value placed on hard work. Many traditional sayings encourage waking up early to seize the day.

Memory Tip

Imagine a rooster crowing at dawn, urging you to 起 (qǐ) from your bed (床, chuáng). The character 起 looks like a person standing up, while 床 represents the bed, making it easier to remember the action of getting up from it.

Meanings of 起床

qǐchuáng(qi3chuang2)
1to get out of bed
2to get up
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 起床

起床Simplified
Strokes
Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#2860Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L2HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 起床

JasonAmy

Podcast: 起床

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 起床

Quick Contrast

起床 (qǐchuáng) vs 起立 (qǐlì) — use 起床 for getting out of bed, while 起立 refers to standing up from a seated position.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a rooster crowing at dawn, urging you to 起 (qǐ) from your bed (床, chuáng). The character 起 looks like a person standing up, while 床 represents the bed, making it easier to remember the action of getting up from it.

Usage Notes

Be mindful of the tones when saying 起床; mispronouncing it can lead to confusion. This phrase is informal and is often used in everyday conversation; for example, you might say, '我早上七点起床' (I get up at seven in the morning).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 2 word, 起床 connects well with other daily routine vocabulary, such as 吃 (to eat) and 睡觉 (to sleep). Focus on using it in context with time expressions to enhance your conversational skills.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, getting up early is often associated with diligence and productivity, reflecting the value placed on hard work. Many traditional sayings encourage waking up early to seize the day.

Common Mistakes

Learners often forget to use the correct tones and may say '起床' with the wrong pronunciation. For example, saying 'qi1 chuang2' instead of 'qi3 chuang2' can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 起床

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 起床 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Component Characters

to rise
HSK 310 strokes
View full entry
chuángbed
HSK 27 strokes广
View full entry

Write 起床

Practice writing 起床 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 起床

起床 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

他常常很早____。

He often gets up very early.

Example Sentences for 起床 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
他终于起床了,头脑一片混沌。

tā zhōng yú qǐ chuáng le, , tóu nǎo yī piàn hùn。

His mind was in a fog when he finally got up.
2
他起床后穿上了晨衣。

tā qǐ chuáng hòu chuān shàng le chén yī。

He got out of bed and pulled on his bathrobe.
3
好啦,睡美人,该起床了。

hǎo lā, , shuì měi, rén , gāi qǐ。

OK, Sleeping Beauty, time to get up.
4
我们一直都起得很早,早晨5点半或6点就起床了。

wǒ mén yī zhí dū qǐ dé hěn zǎo, , zǎo5 chén 5 diǎn6 bàn huò 6 diǎn jiù。

We've always been early birds, getting up at 30 or 6am.
5
现在你应该可以不要人叫就自己起床了, 我的孩子!

xiàn zài nǐ yīng gāi kě yǐ bù yào rén jiào jiù zì jǐ qǐ chuáng le, , wǒ de hái!

It's high time you were able to get yourself up, my boy!
6
天蒙蒙亮他们就叫士兵们起床.

tiān mēng mēng liàng tā mén jiù jiào shì bīng mén qǐ chuáng.

They got the soldiers up well before dawn.
7
佩德罗每天早上天还没亮就起床了。

pèi dé luó měi tiān zǎo shàng tiān huán méi liàng jiù qǐ chuáng le。

Pedro got up every morning before daybreak.
8
他经常天一亮就起床去花园。

tā jīng cháng tiān yī liàng jiù qǐ chuáng qù huā yuán。

He would often rise as soon as it was light and go into the garden.
9
起床过晚或过早。

qǐ chuáng guò wǎn huò guò zǎo。

Stay in bed extra late or get up specially early.
10
[谚]五更起床, 百事兴旺.

[ [] yàn ] wǔ gēng, qǐ chuáng , bǎi.

He that will thrive, must rise at five.

Cultural Notes for 起床

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, getting up early is often associated with diligence and productivity, reflecting the value placed on hard work. Many traditional sayings encourage waking up early to seize the day.

Frequently Asked Questions about 起床

You can say '我早上七点起床' (Wǒ zǎoshang qī diǎn qǐ chuáng).