سونا
sonā
To say sleep in Urdu, use the verb سونا, romanized as sonā.
سونا is the verb to sleep. For the state of being asleep, a formal phrase is سونے کی حالت میں ہونا.
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Which one should you use?
سونا is the verb, while نِینْد, romanized as nīnd, is the noun for sleep itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present tense the verb agrees with the subject. A man says سوتا, romanized as sotā and a woman says سوتی, romanized as sotī.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as sonā.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use سونا when you need the noun, as in I need sleep. Use نِینْد for that.
Did you know?
- In Urdu poetry and song, the word سونا is often used as a pun to evoke both the stillness of 'sleep' and the preciousness of 'gold' in the same verse.
- When used as an adjective for a person, the word سونا can mean 'golden', but it is also a common term of endearment used for children or loved ones.
- The verb سونا shares a common ancient root with the English word 'sleep' through the Proto-Indo-European word *swépeti.
Examples in context
- میں رات کو دس بجے سوتا ہوں۔I sleep at ten o'clock at night.Here سوتا is the masculine present form, so the speaker is a man.
- وہ سونے کی حالت میں ہیں۔ (Wo sone ki haalat mein hain)They are in the state of sleep.
- میں سو رہا ہوں (Main so raha hoon)I am sleeping.
- میں بہت تھک چکا ہوں، میں بس اب سونا چاہتا ہوں۔ (Main bohat thak chuka hoon, main bas ab sona chahta hoon)I am very tired, I just want to sleep now.
- کیا تم سونے جارہے ہو؟ (Kya tum sone ja rahe ho?)Are you going to sleep?
- کیا آپ کو سونا ہے؟Kya aap ko sona hai?Do you want to sleep?
Example conversation
A quiet living room in the evening.
- عائشہ Ayeshaحمزہ، کیا آپ کو نیند آ رہی ہے؟Hamza, kya aap ko neend aa rahi hai?Hamza, are you feeling sleepy?
- حمزہ Hamzaہاں، میں اب سونا چاہتا ہوں۔Haan, mein ab sona chahta hoon.Yes, I want to sleep now.
- عائشہ Ayeshaٹھیک ہے، شب بخیر۔Theek hai, shab bakhair.Okay, good night.
- حمزہ Hamzaشب بخیر، عائشہ۔Shab bakhair, Aisha.Good night, Aisha.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleep” translations and entries سونا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries سونا, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
