քնել
kʻnel/kʰəˈnel/
To go to sleep in Armenian is քնել (kʻnel).
This phrase is used to describe the act of beginning to sleep or entering a state of slumber.
Which one should you use?
While քնել means 'to sleep', the phrase գնալ քնելու (literally 'to go to sleep') is the standard way to express the transition into sleep.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form քնելու is a verbal noun used after the verb 'to go' (գնալ) to express the purpose of going, such as 'to go to sleep'. Additionally, the adjective form քնած is used to describe someone who is currently in the state of being asleep.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kʰəˈnel/. The /kʰ/ sound is like the [c] in 'can', the /ə/ sound is like the [a] in 'again', the /n/ sound is like the [n] in 'nest' and the /l/ sound is like the [l] in 'lace'.
Did you know?
- The word քուն ('sleep') is used in the common idiom քունը փչացնել, which literally means 'to spoil the sleep' of someone but actually means to annoy or disturb them.
- The Armenian word for sleep քուն is used in the expression քունը գալ, which literally means 'sleep is coming', describing the sensation of drowsiness.
- When telling a child to go to sleep, parents may use the phrase քնիր, լավ աղջիկ/տղա ('sleep, good girl/boy'), integrating a behavioral reward into the command to sleep.
Examples in context
- Պետկ է գնամ քնելու։I have to go to sleep.This sentence shows how to use քնել to express having to go to sleep.Tatoeba #12255188 by JameezTranslates, translation #1277 by vinhan
- Գնա քնելու, եթե հոգնած ես։Go to sleep if you're tired.This sentence uses քնել to suggest someone go to sleep if they are tired.Tatoeba #13460922 by Proxima5, translation #10782466 by sundown
- Ո՞ր ժամին ես գնացել քնելու անցած գիշեր:What time did you go to sleep last night?This sentence uses քնել to ask about the time someone went to sleep the previous night.Tatoeba #12746765 by florence_arctica, translation #10022093 by Hybrid
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Levon and Mariam are talking late at night in the living room.
- Լևոն LevonԱրդեն ուշ է, ժամանակն է քնել:Arden ush e, zhamanakn e knel:It is already late, it is time to go to sleep.
- Մարիամ MariamԵս դեռ չեմ ուզում քնել:Yes dyer chem uzum knel:I don't want to go to sleep yet.
- Լևոն LevonԲայց վաղ էլ պետք է արթնանալ:Bayts vagh el petk e artnanal:But we have to wake up early too.
- Մարիամ MariamԼավ, Լևոն, արի գնանք քնել:Lav, Levon, ari gnank knel:Okay, Levon, let's go to sleep.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry քնել, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
