Raise vs Rise: Cause Something to Go Up or Go Up by Itself?

Raise is normally transitive: someone raises something. Rise is normally intransitive: something rises by itself.

Raise + object

The company raised salaries. Please raise your hand. She raised an important question. The verb acts directly on a noun.

Rise: no direct object

Prices rose last month. The temperature is rising. He rose from his chair. No agent is grammatically required to make the subject move upward.

Verb forms

raise – raised – raised; rise – rose – risen. The irregular forms make the distinction more visible in past and perfect tenses.

Business English

Compare: The central bank raised the rate versus The rate rose. The first sentence names the cause; the second focuses on the change itself.

Common error

Prices raised by 5%. → Prices rose by 5%. But: The supplier raised prices by 5%.

Memory rule

Raise something; something rises.

Quick practice

Choose: The company ___ its prices last month. / Prices ___ sharply after the announcement. / Please ___ the issue at tomorrow’s meeting.

Answers: raised; rose; raise.

Takeaway

If the subject causes another thing to go up, use raise. If the subject itself goes up, use rise.