The kanji 起 primarily conveys the idea of "to rise," "to wake up," "to begin," or "to start." It implies an action of getting up from a resting position, initiating something new, or the commencement of an event. The meaning centers on the concept of activation or the beginning of something.

・On-yomi (音読み): キ (ki) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): お起きる (o起kiru) - to wake up, to get up; お起こす (o起kosu) - to wake someone up, to cause

⚫︎ 朝、7時に起きます。 Translation: I wake up at 7 o'clock in the morning. ⚫︎ 新しいプロジェクトを起こす。 Translation: To start a new project. ⚫︎ 地震で家が揺れて、みんなが起きました。 Translation: The house shook in the earthquake, and everyone woke up.

The kanji 起 is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字). The left side is 走 (so), which means "to run" or "to walk," suggesting movement. The right side is 己 (on/ki), representing "oneself." The original meaning was likely associated with "to stand up" or "to get up and walk". Over time, it expanded to encompass the broader meanings of beginning and initiating. The character's formation visually suggests the act of standing up and starting to move, from the perspective of an individual.