Word Detail

The Japanese verb 眠ります (ねむります) means "to sleep." It describes the act of resting with closed eyes, and being in a state of reduced consciousness. It implies a state of physical and mental rest. The word can refer to the process of falling asleep, being asleep, or the general state of sleeping. It is a common and essential verb used in everyday Japanese.

⚫︎毎日八時間眠ります。 Translation: I sleep for eight hours every day. ⚫︎赤ちゃんはよく眠ります。 Translation: The baby sleeps well. ⚫︎疲れたので、早く眠りたいです。 Translation: I am tired, so I want to sleep early.

眠ります is used in formal and polite situations. It is the polite -masu form of the verb. It is appropriate for general conversations and when addressing someone with respect, such as a superior or someone you do not know well. The plain form of the verb is 眠る (ねむる), which is used in casual conversations with friends and family. This verb expresses the state of sleeping, the act of going to sleep, and also the ability to sleep.

眠ります is written in hiragana as ねむります. The kanji form is 眠ります. The okurigana is り and is always included. There are no other ways to write this word. The kanji 眠 can be used when writing.

⚫︎寝る (ねる) - to go to bed; to sleep (plain form). ⚫︎就寝する (しゅうしんする) - to retire for the night (more formal).

⚫︎起きます (おきます) - to wake up. ⚫︎起きる (おきる) - to wake up (plain form). ⚫︎覚醒する (かくせいする) - to wake up; to be awake (formal).

昨夜はよく眠れませんでした。 ・Translation: I didn't sleep well last night. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses that the speaker did not sleep well last night. The negative polite form of 眠る is used.

そろそろ眠ります。 ・Translation: It's about time to go to sleep. ・Explanation: This sentence indicates that the speaker is about to go to sleep. The polite form is used here.

The etymology of 眠ります is not definitively known, but it is believed that the kanji 眠 (nemu) originally depicted a person with closed eyes, reflecting the state of sleep. The verb likely evolved from this visual representation of sleep and rest.