眠る

nemuru

to sleep

夜遅くまで起きていたので、早く眠りたいです。

I stayed up late, so I want to go to sleep early.

general

To fall asleep or be in a state of sleep.

赤ちゃんはすぐに眠ります。

The baby falls asleep quickly.

疲れて眠ってしまった。

I was so tired that I fell asleep.

The verb '眠る' is intransitive and typically refers to the natural state of sleeping. It can be used in both literal and metaphorical contexts.

Collocations

深く眠るto sleep deeply眠り込むto fall into a deep sleep眠りを妨げるto disturb one's sleep

Synonyms

寝る休む仮眠する

Antonyms

起きる目が覚める

Related Phrases

眠り姫phrase

Sleeping Beauty

眠りの森phrase

Sleeping Forest

Pro Tip

Formal vs. Informal Usage

While '眠る' is more formal, '寝る' is the standard way to say 'to sleep' in everyday conversation.

Gold Rule

Intransitive Verb

'眠る' is an intransitive verb and does not take a direct object. For example, you cannot say '眠る夢' (to sleep a dream).

Word Origin

The kanji '眠' (nemu) is derived from the combination of '目' (eye) and '免' (to avoid), symbolizing the act of closing one's eyes to sleep.

Usage Notes

'眠る' is more formal and literary compared to '寝る' (neru), which is more commonly used in everyday speech. '眠る' can also be used metaphorically to describe inactivity or stagnation.

Word Breakdown

眠

sleep

root

る

intransitive verb ending

suffix

和英辞典

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