นอน
nɔɔn/nɔːn˧/
To sleep in Thai is expressed as นอน (nɔɔn), the default form. Wiktionary also lists หลับ (làp).
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| นอน | nɔɔn | /nɔːn˧/ |
| หลับ | làp | /lap̚˨˩/ |
While นอน is the most common way to say 'to sleep' in daily conversation, it literally means 'to lie down'.
Which one should you use?
นอน (nɔɔn) is used to describe the physical act of lying down or the general intention to sleep. In contrast, หลับ (làp) focuses specifically on the state of being asleep or the act of falling into a sleep.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal or literary contexts, such as poetry or formal writing, the noun นิทรา (nì-thraa) is used to mean 'sleep'. For a formal way to express the verb 'to sleep', you can use นอนหลับ. In informal situations, if you want to tell someone to 'just sleep' or 'go sleep', you can use the expression นอนเถอะ.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
nɔɔn (/nɔːn˧/)
Did you know?
- The formal term นิทรา is derived from Sanskrit, reflecting the heavy influence of Indian languages on Thai royal and literary speech.
- The verb หลับ is closely related to ancient words for 'blinking' and 'closing' across the Proto-Kam-Sui and Proto-Kra language families.
Examples in context
- ฉันต้องนอนI have to sleep.This sentence is useful for expressing a necessity to sleep using นอน.Tatoeba #8675851 by pastelite, translation #1009343 by AOCinJAPAN
- คุณควรจะนอนYou should sleep.This sentence is useful for giving advice to sleep using นอน.Tatoeba #4284484 by Spanger, translation #1311 by CK
- ฉันจะนอนที่นี่I'll sleep here.This sentence is useful for stating a location for sleeping using นอน.Tatoeba #8722697 by pastelite, translation #2247809 by CK
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their exhaustion after a long workday.
- ณิชา Nichaชลสิทธิ์ดูเหนื่อยมากเลยนะChonlasit du thueai mak loei naChonlasit, you look very tired.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitใช่ครับ ผมอยากนอนแล้วchai khrap phom yak non laeoYes, I want to sleep now.
- ณิชา Nichaรีบไปนอนเถอะค่ะrip pai non thoe khaGo to sleep quickly.
- ชลสิทธิ์ Cholasitขอบคุณครับณิชาkhop khun khrap NichaThank you, Nicha.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleep” translations and entries นอน, หลับ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries นอน, หลับ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
