How to Say “Nap Time” in Japanese

お昼寝の時間
ohirune no jikan
To say nap time in Japanese, use お昼寝の時間 (ohirune no jikan).
It is used for a daytime nap, especially the nap time of small children at home or in nursery school.

What does it mean word for word?

お is a polite prefix, 昼寝 means a nap, の links the words and 時間 means time.

How do you pronounce it?

It is pronounced ohirune no jikan.

Did you know?

  • In Japanese offices, a short nap is called いねむり ('inemuri'). Unlike 'nap time', which implies a scheduled break, いねむり refers to the social acceptance of falling asleep during a meeting or on a train as a sign of exhaustion from hard work.
  • The polite prefix お in お昼寝 is an example of 美化語 ('beautification language'). Using this prefix doesn't just show respect to others, but makes the act of napping sound more refined and gentle.
  • While お昼寝 is for children, adults may use the word 仮眠 ('kamin') for a strategic nap. This term literally means 'temporary sleep' and is often used in professional or medical contexts to describe a power nap.

Examples in context

  • お昼寝の時間よ。
    It's nap time.
    Adding よ at the end gives a gentle, friendly tone, like telling a child it is nap time.
    Tatoeba #9533490 by small_snow, translation #8784609 by Amastan
  • そろそろお昼寝の時間だよ。
    sorosoro ohirune no jikan da yo.
    It is almost nap time.
  • お昼寝の時間はいつですか?
    ohirune no jikan wa itsu desu ka?
    When is nap time?
  • 1 more sentence on Tatoeba

Example conversation

A mother talking to her young son in a living room.

  1. 結衣 Yui

    陽太、もうお昼寝の時間だよ。
    Youta, mou ohirune no jikan da yo.
    Youta, it is nap time already.
  2. 陽太 Yota

    まだ遊びたいよ。
    Mada asobitai yo.
    I still want to play.
  3. 結衣 Yui

    ダメだよ、お昼寝の時間だよ。
    Dame da yo, ohirune no jikan da yo.
    No, it is nap time.
  4. 陽太 Yota

    わかった、寝るね。
    Wakatta, neru ne.
    Okay, I will sleep.

Sources

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Alma Suzanne
Alma SuzanneHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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