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Difference between 'wake up' & 'get up'

Difference between 'wake up' & 'get up'

Date: Sep 10 2007

Topic: Vocabulary

Author: guchhi

Lesson

The difference between wake up and get up is very small. But I thought it would be beneficial to know the exact difference. Wake up is when you wake up from sleep. Get up is when you get out of bed. Usually, when people wake up, they get up. However, sometimes people just stay in bed. In that situation, they couldn't use these two words interchangeably. Here is an example dialog showing the difference.

Person A: 'When did you get up this morning?'
Person B: 'I got up at 11.'
Person A: 'You slept at 11 last night. So you slept for 12 hours?'
Person B: 'No. I actually woke up at 9, but I just stayed in bed.'

When you talk to people, go ahead and use either of these two words. Just keep in mind that there is a small difference.

On a side note. When you ask someone when they woke up, you don't use the past tense of 'woke' although it is referring to the past. 'What time did you woke up this morning' is incorrect. The correct way to ask this question is, 'What time did you wake up this morning?'

Likewise, you wouldn't say, 'What time did you got up?' The correct way to say this is, 'What time did you get up?'

Comments

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imamfzw

Indonesia

The first time that our eyes open is wake up then  when we leave  from bedroom  is get up…, is it Ok??

 

10:15 AM Nov 26 2007 |

jennifer yao

China

thanks a lot

07:12 AM Nov 26 2007 |

nadiaaa

nadiaaa

Pakistan

thnx alot it is really good.

some times we make this kind of mistakes although it have not too much difference.

06:59 AM Nov 26 2007 |

kiyaarast

United States

thank u so much

06:56 AM Nov 26 2007 |

kiyaarast

United States

thank u so much.

06:55 AM Nov 26 2007 |

handsomegazi

Turkey

Thank you my friend Wink

05:35 AM Nov 26 2007 |

yana011

yana011

Philippines

oh, your lesson is  helpful! thanks!

12:27 PM Nov 25 2007 |

Moumou-

China

Tongue outThank you

05:14 AM Nov 24 2007 |

binky0xixi

binky0xixi

China

no diffiect!

05:02 AM Nov 24 2007 |

dina47

Cape Verde

Thank for this lesson It was useful for me learn the difference between get up and wake up. But I don't uderstand the reason for use present tence to ask somoene when he/she get up or wake up if the setence refers to an action in past

04:37 PM Nov 22 2007 |

Tahoma

Tahoma

Liberia

Thanks a lot. I didn’t know before but for now I can make good use of get up and wake and up

03:47 PM Nov 22 2007 |

chelrimei

chelrimei

Myanmar

thz 4 this topic ,,we hope to get many usage like this again 

03:34 PM Nov 22 2007 |

ndlela

South Africa

thank you a lot i did'nt know,i though  It means the same thing

11:13 AM Nov 22 2007 |

henry_bhardwaj

India

thanx i think u r punjabi right.so plz bhaji help me to learn english.menu ta jma hi nahi aundi.take care and plz keep in touch

12:42 PM Nov 21 2007 |

yuanbiaorao

China

it's not perplexing!i can absorb and express myself naturally

12:28 PM Nov 21 2007 |

xunuo

xunuo

China

thank you very much!

12:22 PM Nov 21 2007 |

xunuo

xunuo

China

thank you very much!

12:20 PM Nov 21 2007 |

xunuo

xunuo

China

thank you very much!

12:20 PM Nov 21 2007 |

「Miss.+P。

「Miss.+P。

China

thanks

10:36 AM Nov 21 2007 |

baotian

China

Very good!I like itLaughing

06:11 AM Nov 21 2007 |

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