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German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "sleep" in German?
schlafen
In German, "sleep" is schlafen.
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Pronunciation
Pronounced 'SHLAH-fen', stress on the first syllable, with a long A sound like in 'father'.
Grammar notes
schlafen is a verb (infinitive form). Use it after modal verbs, or conjugate it to match the subject.
Example sentence
Babys schlafen den Großteil des Tages.
Babies sleep most of the day.
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How to remember schlafen
Schlafen is related to English 'sleep' far back in Germanic roots, but sound-wise just picture someone snoring 'shlaaaf' as they drift off.
Related words
- run laufen
- walk gehen
- jump springen
- climb klettern
- crawl kriechen
- swim schwimmen
- fall fallen
- eat essen
- chew kauen
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about schlafen
How do you say "sleep" in German?
In German, "sleep" is schlafen. It is a verb.
How is schlafen used in a sentence?
Use schlafen as you would use the equivalent verb in English. For example: Babys schlafen den Großteil des Tages. (Babies sleep most of the day.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
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"Sleep" in other languages
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