낮잠
natjam[na̠t̚t͡ɕ͈a̠m]
The English phrase 'nap' is 낮잠 (natjam) in Korean.
낮잠 is a noun referring to a short period of sleep, especially during the day. To express the action of taking a nap, you should use the verbal phrase 낮잠을 자다.
Meaning: a short period of sleep, especially during the day (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
낮잠 is a compound word consisting of 낮, meaning 'day' or 'daytime' and 잠, meaning 'sleep'. Literally, it translates to 'day nap'.
Which one should you use?
While 낮잠 refers to the nap itself, 낮잠을 자다 is the standard way to say 'to take a nap'. For a more formal context, the term 수면 can be used to refer to sleep or a nap.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
natjam
When do people say it?
If you are describing a very pleasant, deep sleep or a 'sweet nap', the slang term 꿀잠 is often used.
Did you know?
- The word 잠 for 'sleep' is the root for 잠수, which means 'diving' or 'going underwater', metaphorically used when someone disappears from social contact.
- In Korean universities and offices, you may see people napping in public spaces using specialized 'nap pillows' that allow them to sleep face-down on their desks.
- To describe a nap that is so deep it feels like a coma, Koreans sometimes use the expression 떡실신, which originates from slang for fainting.
Examples in context
- 저는 낮잠을 자겠습니다.I'm going to take a nap.This sentence shows how to use 낮잠 to express the intention of taking a nap.Tatoeba #13250519 by qiwiwi, translation #1890992 by CK
- 낮잠을 잤어?Did you take a nap?
- 꿀잠을 잤어?Did you have a good nap?
- 네, 잠을 잠시 자고 왔어요.Yes, I took a short nap and came.
- 아니요, 아직 낮잠을 안 잤어요.No, I haven't taken a nap yet.
- 응, 꿀잠 잤어. 기분이 좋아졌어.Yes, I had a great nap. I feel better now.
- 짧은 낮잠이 필요해요.jjalbeun natjam-i piryohaeyo.I need a short nap.
- 어제 낮잠을 아주 길게 잤어요.eoje natjam-eul aju gilge jasseoyo.I took a very long nap yesterday.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Subin and Minjun are talking about their weekend at a cafe.
- 수빈 Su-bin민준 씨는 주말에 뭐 했어요?Minjun ssi-neun jumare mwo haesseoyo?Minjun, what did you do over the weekend?
- 민준 Min-jun집에서 낮잠을 잤어요.Jib-eseo natjam-eul jasseoyo.I took a nap at home.
- 수빈 Su-bin정말 푹 쉬었겠네요.Jeongmal puk swieotgenneyo.You must have rested deeply.
- 민준 Min-jun네, 아주 좋았어요.Ne, aju joasseoyo.Yes, it was very good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nap” translations and entries 낮잠, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
