Nihongo

Kanji Detail of 寝

Level:N3 Low
Strokes:13
Stroke Order
Related Words
AI Explanation
Basic Meaning

The kanji character fundamentally represents the concept of "sleeping" or "lying down." It encompasses the idea of rest, repose, and being in a state of inactivity, typically associated with the act of sleeping. It also extends to the physical space or place where one sleeps.

Readings

・On-yomi (音読み): シン (shin) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): ね(る) (neru) - to sleep; ね(かす) (nekasu) - to put (someone) to sleep

Usage Examples

⚫︎ 寝る Translation: to sleep ⚫︎ 昼寝 Translation: a nap ⚫︎ 寝室 Translation: bedroom

Origin and Formation

The kanji is a phono-semantic compound (形声文字, けいせいもじ). The semantic component is (an enclosure representing a house or roof), indicating a place. The phonetic component is (ne), which suggests the sound and originally related to the idea of "to rest." Thus, the character combines the idea of a place (house) with the action (resting) to form the concept of sleeping or resting in a house. It suggests the meaning of “to lie down and sleep” inside a building.

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