ねる
neruverb, everyday
In hiragana, "sleep" as a verb is ねる (neru). It also means to go to bed or lie down, and it is the word you hear every day. It is also called ねむる (nemuru).
Meaning: to sleep (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ねる | neru | verb, everyday |
| ねむる | nemuru | verb, more literary |
ねる fits ordinary talk: はやくねる (hayaku neru) is to go to bed early. ねむる (nemuru) feels more formal and is used for deep or lasting sleep.
How does it change in a sentence?
The polite form is ねます (nemasu) and the past is ねました (nemashita). To say you are sleepy, use the adjective ねむい (nemui).
Did you know?
- The goodnight phrase おやすみ (oyasumi) comes from the verb やすむ (yasumu), to rest.
Examples in context
- いつもじゅうじにねます。Itsumo jūji ni nemasu.I always go to sleep at ten.
- きのうはよくねました。Kinō wa yoku nemashita.I slept well yesterday.
- ねむいから、もうねる。Nemui kara, mō neru.I am sleepy, so I am going to bed.
Example conversation
Haruka and her little brother Daiki talk before bedtime.
- Harukaダイキ、もうねるじかんだよ。Daiki, mō neru jikan da yo.Daiki, it is time to sleep.
- Daikiまだねむくない。Mada nemukunai.I am not sleepy yet.
- Harukaあしたはがっこうでしょう。おやすみ。Ashita wa gakkō deshō. Oyasumi.You have school tomorrow. Good night.
