よく眠れ
yoku nemure
The English phrase "have a good sleep" is translated into Japanese as よく眠れ (yoku nemure).
よく眠れ is a wish expressed to someone before they go to sleep. You may also use the phrase 良い夢を見てください to mean "Have sweet dreams."
How do you pronounce it?
yoku nemure
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to translate "have a good sleep" literally into Japanese, but in practice, Japanese speakers are much more likely to simply say おやすみなさい (good night) to express the same sentiment.
Did you know?
- While よく眠れ sounds like a kind wish, the imperative form used here can actually sound like a command or a stern order to a Japanese ear.
- The greeting おやすみなさい is actually a polite command meaning 'Please rest', derived from the verb 休む (to rest) rather than 'sleep'.
- The word 眠れ comes from the verb 眠る, which is strictly used for the physiological act of sleeping, unlike 寝る which can also mean to lie down.
Examples in context
- 昨夜はよく眠れましたか。Did you have a good sleep last night?This sentence is useful for asking if someone was able to sleep well using よく眠れ.Tatoeba #169654 by bunbuku, translation #69373 by shekitten
- おやすみなさい。良い夢を見てください。Good night. Have sweet dreams.
- お休みください。明日も気を付けてお越しください。Please have a good sleep. Take care and come again tomorrow.
- おやすみ。明日の予定を話そうね。Good night. Let's talk about our plans for tomorrow.
Example conversation
Misaki is telling Ren goodnight before he goes to bed.
- 美咲 Misakiもう夜遅いね。そろそろ寝なよ。Mou yoru osoi ne. Sorosoro ne na yo.It's already late. You should go to bed soon.
- 蓮 Renうん、そろそろ布団に入るよ。Un, sorosoro futon ni hairu yo.Yeah, I'm going to bed now.
- 美咲 Misakiおやすみ。ゆっくりよく眠れ。Oyasumi. Yukkuri yoku nemure.Goodnight. Have a good sleep.
- 蓮 Renありがとう。美咲もおやすみ。Arigatou. Misaki mo oyasumi.Thanks. Goodnight to you too, Misaki.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
