نَامَ
nāma
To say sleep in Arabic, use the verb نَامَ (nāma). If unsure, use نَامَ. Wiktionary also lists رَقَدَ (raqada) and نام (nām).
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| نَامَ | nāma | ||
| رَقَدَ | raqada | ||
| نام | nām | /naː.ma/ | Egyptian Arabic |
| رقد | ragad | Hijazi Arabic | |
| انخمد | anḵamad | Hijazi Arabic, vulgar | |
| نعس | nʕas | /na.ʕa.sa/ | Moroccan Arabic |
نَامَ is the standard verb for the act of sleeping. The noun sleep is نوم, and a single sleep or nap is نَوْمَة (nawma).
Which one should you use?
رَقَدَ (raqada) can suggest a longer stay lying down or resting.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Egyptians say نام (nām). In Hijazi Arabic رقد (ragad) is used, and in Moroccan Arabic نعس (nʕas).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Arabic dictionaries list verbs in the past tense, so نَامَ literally means he slept. He sleeps is يَنَامُ and I slept is نِمْتُ. Someone who is asleep is نَائِم.
How do you pronounce it?
It is said nāma, with a long a in the first syllable.
Did you know?
- When wishing someone a good night, Arabs often use the phrase تصبح على خير ('tusbih 'ala khayr'), which translates to 'may you wake up to goodness'.
- The term انْخَمَدَ ('inkhamada') is used metaphorically to describe the 'extinguishing' of consciousness, similar to how one describes a flame or a light being put out.
- The verb نَامَ shares a common root with the Hebrew word נָם, making them linguistic cousins.
Examples in context
- بكى الطفل حتى نام.The baby cried itself to sleep.حتى نام means until he fell asleep.Tatoeba #385723 by saeb, translation #45861 by CK
- أين نامت الليلة الماضية؟Where did she sleep last night?نامت means she slept.Tatoeba #11977379 by dididodo, translation #7486928 by Amastan
- أنَامْ أَوْ أَقْرَءْ.I go to sleep or read.أنَامْ means I sleep, in the present tense.
- يجب عليك الحصول على قسط كافٍ من النوم.You must get an adequate amount of sleep.
- استمتع براحة جيدة ونوم هانئ.Enjoy a good rest and peaceful sleep.
- نام جيدًا واسترح.Sleep well and relax.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleep” translations and entries نام, رقد, نعس, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries نام, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
