起きる
おきる · okiru · JLPT N5 · verb-ichidan
to get up
⏰🛏️ okiru sounds like oh-key-roo: Oh, key! Rooster crows, time to get up
起 means rise, the same character as in 起床 (get out of bed). Sound hook: o-ki-ru = Oh, key, roo(ster) — the rooster is the key that gets you up. Things also arise the same way: an event 起きる when it comes up, i.e. happens.
起 — 走 (run) + 己 (self/phonetic)
起 combines 走 'run/walk' as the meaning component with 己 as the phonetic component. The 走 element suggests movement of the body, giving the core sense of rising up or starting to move. From there it extended to meanings like 'get up,' 'begin,' and 'arise.'