שלאָפֿן
shlofn/ˈʃɫɔfn̩/
To sleep in Yiddish is שלאָפֿן (shlofn).
The verb שלאָפֿן means to rest in a state of reduced consciousness.
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Galitzianer dialect, שלאָפֿן is commonly used to refer to sleep.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun form for 'a sleep' is שלאָף. When using the present tense for 'you sleep' (second person singular or plural), use the form שלאָפֿט. The past participle for 'slept' is געשלאָפֿן.
How do you pronounce it?
shlofn (/ˈʃɫɔfn̩/)
Did you know?
- In Yiddish, calling someone a שלאָפֿעניק is a way to imply they are not just tired, but actually lazy or slow-witted.
- While שלאָפֿן is the standard verb, some Yiddish speakers use the term רעשט (rest) as a euphemism for the 'eternal sleep' of death.
- The Yiddish verb שלאָפֿן and the English word 'sleep' are long-lost relatives, both descending from the same Proto-Germanic ancestor *slēpaną.
Examples in context
- קעץ שלאָפֿן אַ סך.Cats sleep a lot.This sentence shows how to use שלאָפֿן when discussing the habits of animals.Tatoeba #11073708 by shekitten, translation #8787802 by shekitten
- לאָמיך נאָך אַ ביסל שלאָפֿן.Let me sleep a little longer.This sentence uses שלאָפֿן to express a desire for more rest.Tatoeba #10216422 by shekitten, translation #10215447 by CK
- פּרוּוו שלאָפֿן, אויב דו קענסט.Try to sleep if you can.This sentence uses שלאָפֿן to suggest an action to someone else.Tatoeba #11615583 by shekitten, translation #10715559 by AlanF_US
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Menachem are talking in the morning.
- שרה Saraהאָסטו געשלאָפֿן גוט?Hostu geshlofn gut?Did you sleep well?
- מנחם Menahemניין, איך האָב נישט געקענט שלאָפֿן.Nayn, ikh hob nisht gekent shlofn.No, I couldn't sleep.
- שרה Saraוואָס האָט דיך געוועקט?Vos hot dikh gevekt?What woke you up?
- מנחם Menahemדער נאַכט-גלייכער איז געווען זייער לאָיט.Der nakht-glaykher iz geven zeyer loyt.The noise at night was very loud.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleep” translations and entries שלאָפֿן, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries שלאָפֿן, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
