寝る
neru[ne̞ɾɯ̟]
In Japanese, "I go to sleep" is expressed using 寝る (neru).
The verb 寝る is used to state that someone is going to bed or starting to sleep. It can mean both the act of sleeping and the act of lying down.
Which one should you use?
While 寝る is used to mean "to sleep," the verb 眠る specifically refers to the physiological state of being asleep.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The dictionary form 寝る is used in casual conversation with friends or family. For a formal way to say "I go to sleep," you can use Watashi wa nemasu (私は寝ます).
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form of 寝る is 寝ます. The past tense of 寝る is 寝た, which means "slept" or "went to bed".
How do you pronounce it?
neru
Did you know?
- In some contexts, the verb 寝る (neru) is used metaphorically to mean 'to be in a relationship' with someone, which is quite different from the literal act of sleeping.
- Japanese has a specific word, 寝相 (nesō), which refers to the 'sleeping posture' or the way a person moves around in their sleep.
- The kanji for 寝る (neru) includes a component that represents a bed or a platform, which visually anchors the word to the physical act of lying down on a surface.
Examples in context
- Shokuji o shita ato wa watashi wa nemasu. (食事をした後は私は寝ます)After having a meal, I go to sleep.
- Mou osoku natta, dakara watashi wa neru yo. (もう遅くなった、だから私は寝るよ)It's already late, so I will go to sleep.
- Kanashii jikan jya nai kara, ima boku wa nemuru ze. (悲しい時間じゃないから、今僕は眠るぜ)It's not a sad time, so I'm going to sleep now.
- もう寝るね。mō neru ne.I'm going to sleep now.
- そろそろ寝る時間だ。sorosoro neru jikan da.It is almost time to sleep.
- 今日は早く寝る。kyō wa hayaku neru.I will go to sleep early today.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking in the living room at night.
- 美咲 Misakiまだ起きているの？mada okite iru no?Are you still awake?
- 健太 Kentaうん、でももう寝る。un, demo mō neru.Yeah, but I'm going to sleep now.
- 美咲 Misakiおやすみなさい。oyasuminasai.Good night.
- 健太 Kentaおやすみ。oyasumi.Night.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 寝る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 寝る, CC BY-SA 4.0.
