去睡觉
qù shuìjiào
The English phrase "go to sleep" is translated into Chinese as 去睡觉 (qù shuìjiào).
The phrase 去睡觉 is used to express the action of going to bed in order to sleep. While 睡觉 is a common and versatile way to say "go to sleep" in both formal and informal contexts, the full phrase 去睡觉 is a casual way to express this among friends or family.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the verb 去 (qù), meaning "to go" and the verb-object construction 睡觉 (shuìjiào), meaning "to sleep".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Hokkien, the phrase 睏覺 is used to mean "go to sleep".
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding 了 to the end of the phrase, such as in 去睡觉了, often indicates a change in state or that it is time to perform the action, similar to saying "It's time to go to sleep".
How do you pronounce it?
qù shuìjiào
Did you know?
- In traditional Chinese culture, the act of 睡觉 was historically linked to the 'spirit' leaving the body, which influenced how people viewed sleepwalking and dreams.
- While 去睡觉 means going to bed, the phrase 睡大觉 literally means 'sleeping a big sleep' and is often used to describe a deep or lazy slumber.
- The character for 'sleep' 睡 contains the radical for 'eye' 目, reflecting the physical act of closing the eyes to enter a state of rest.
Examples in context
- 我该去睡觉了。I have to go to sleep.This sentence shows how to use 去睡觉 to say someone must go to sleep.Tatoeba #2 by fucongcong, translation #1277 by vinhan
- 我们现在要去睡觉。We have to go to sleep now.This sentence shows the use of 去睡觉 with the word "now".Tatoeba #1039713 by tatomeimei, translation #1049506 by Brian255
- 为了养足精神，你应该早点去睡觉。You should go to sleep early, for restfulness sake.This sentence shows how to use 去睡觉 when giving advice about resting.Tatoeba #383103 by sysko, translation #11272473 by Aphima
- 今晚早点睡觉，明天要早起工作。(Jīn wǎn zǎo diǎn shuì jiào, míng tiān yào zǎo qǐ gōng zuò)Go to bed early tonight, as you need to wake up early for work tomorrow.
- 祝您安然入眠，做个美梦。(Zhù nín ān rán rù mián, zuò gè měi mèng)Wishing you a peaceful sleep and sweet dreams.
- 困了吗？那就快去睡了吧！(Kùn le ma? Nà jiù kuài qù shuì le ba!)Feeling sleepy? Then go to sleep quickly!
- 明天早上有事，记得早点睡啊！(Míng tiān zǎo shàng yǒu shì, jì de zǎo diǎn shuì a!)Remember to sleep early as you have something to do tomorrow morning!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Late at night in a shared apartment.
- 佳怡 Jiayi太晚了，快去睡觉吧。Tai wan le, kuai qu shuijiao ba.It is too late, go to sleep quickly.
- 伟 Wei我还没准备好去睡觉。Wo hai mei zhunbei hao qu shuijiao.I am not ready to go to sleep yet.
- 佳怡 Jiayi伟，你应该去睡觉了。Wei, ni yinggai qu shuijiao le.Wei, you should go to sleep.
- 伟 Wei好吧，那我也去睡觉。Hao ba, na wo ye qu shuijiao.Alright, then I will go to sleep too.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
