Irregular verb
The verb to awake
awake → awoke → awoken
B2Meaning: to wake up (a literary word); not sleeping · Type: irregular
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they awake·he/she/it awakes - Past Simple:
awoke - Past participle:
awoken - -ing form:
awaking
Conjugation of the verb to awake
Present Simple
| I | awake |
| You | awake |
| He / She / It | awakes |
| We | awake |
| You (pl.) | awake |
| They | awake |
Past Simple
| I | awoke |
| You | awoke |
| He / She / It | awoke |
| We | awoke |
| You (pl.) | awoke |
| They | awoke |
All the forms of the verb to awake
Present Simple
Full pageawake / awakes
“I awake at dawn.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are awaking
“I am awaking early right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pageawoke
“She awoke at 6am.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were awaking
“I was awaking early when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has awoken
“I have already awoken early.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad awoken
“She had already awoken early when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill awake
“I will awake early tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to awake
“I'm going to awake early this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould awake
“I would awake early if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to awake
1. Waking up
- She awoke suddenly.
2. Awaking a feeling (figurative)
Awake + feeling: to make a feeling start, like curiosity or interest.
- The book awoke my curiosity.
A common mistake
1. Say wake up in everyday speech
The verb awake is more literary. In everyday speech, say wake up: What time did you wake up?
What's next?
You can conjugate to awake. Now say it out loud.
This page explained everything. On PLAY, you practise this verb out loud in 3 minutes, until it comes naturally.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of awake?+
The Past Simple of awake is awoke. The past participle is awoken. Awake → awoke → awoken.
Is it awake or wake up?+
Wake up is the normal verb in everyday speech. The verb awake is literary and formal. In daily life, say wake up: I woke up at 7 this morning.
Is awake also an adjective?+
Yes! The adjective awake means not sleeping: I'm awake. The opposite is asleep. Stay awake means don't fall asleep.
What does awakening mean?+
An awakening is the moment you wake up, or the moment you suddenly understand something. It is a literary or spiritual word. A rude awakening is a sudden, unpleasant surprise.
Is it awoke or awaked?+
Awake is irregular. Awaked is an old form, and it is better not to use it. Say awoke and awoken.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/awake
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.