Which one should you use?
While 자다 is the general term for sleep, 주무시다 is the honorific version used when the subject of the sentence is someone of higher status or an older person.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
자다 is the basic form of the verb. When speaking in a standard polite manner, you should use the form 자요. To show respect to an older person or someone of significantly higher social status, use the honorific form 주무시다.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the action in a standard polite way, such as saying "I am sleeping" or "Please sleep," use the form 자요. The past tense of the polite form is 잤어요, meaning "slept".
How do you pronounce it?
jada
When do people say it?
When addressing someone of significantly higher social status, it is customary to use the formal and respectful phrase 안녕히 주무십시오 to wish them a good sleep.
Did you know?
- Korean has a distinct verb for 'dozing off' or 'nodding off' called 졸다. While 자다 refers to actual sleep, 졸다 describes the struggle to stay awake.
- The verb 자다 first appeared in written records in the Yongbi eocheon'ga, a song of praises to kings written in 1447.
- The phrase 안녕히 주무십시오 literally translates to 'please sleep in peace'. The word 안녕 refers to a state of being well, peaceful and free from worry.
Example conversation
Hyunwoo and Seoyeon are saying goodnight at home.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo서연아, 이제 자다.Seoyeon-a, ije jada.Seoyeon, go to sleep now.
- 서연 Seo-yeon네, 현우 오빠도 빨리 자요.ne, Hyunwoo oppado ppalli jayo.Yes, you should go to sleep quickly too, Hyunwoo.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo좋은 꿈 꾸고 잘 자.joeun kkum kkugo jal ja.Have sweet dreams and sleep well.
- 서연 Seo-yeon오빠도 잘 자요.oppado jal jayo.You sleep well too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 자다, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 자다, CC BY-SA 4.0.
