How do you say "sleep" in Japanese?

眠りにつく

nemuri nitsuku

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "sleep" is 眠りにつく (nemuri nitsuku).

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Pronunciation

Ne-mu-ri-ni-tsu-ku is a full phrase, six syllables, said in one smooth breath with no hard stops.

Writing and usage

眠りにつく is written using kanji. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

赤ちゃんは一日中ほとんど寝ています。

akachan ha ichinichijuu hotondo nete imasu.

Babies sleep most of the day.

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How to remember 眠りにつく

Nemuri sounds like 'nay, mori' — 'no more' talking, it's time to fall asleep.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 眠りにつく

How do you pronounce 眠りにつく?

Ne-mu-ri-ni-tsu-ku is a full phrase, six syllables, said in one smooth breath with no hard stops.

Is 眠りにつく formal or casual?

眠りにつく is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 眠りにつく written in Japanese?

眠りにつく is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as nemuri nitsuku.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Sleep" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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