نَعْسَان
naʕsān
The English word "sleepy" is translated into Arabic as نَعْسَان (naʕsān). Wiktionary also lists نَاعِس (nāʕis).
Meaning: feeling the need for sleep (adj)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| نَعْسَان | naʕsān |
| نَاعِس | nāʕis |
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to a female, use the feminine form naʕsāna. Additionally, a common way to express the state of being sleepy is to use the phrase أَشْعُرُ بِالنَّعَاسِ, which literally means "I feel sleepiness".
How do you pronounce it?
naʕsān
Did you know?
- In certain Levantine dialects, instead of saying 'I am sleepy', one might say 'The sleep is coming to me', treating sleep as an external guest or force.
- The term نَاعِس (nā‘is) can also be used to describe a 'languid' or 'droopy' flower or tree, moving the meaning from a human feeling to a physical description of nature.
- While نَعْسَان describes a person, the noun نُعَاس (nu‘ās) is often used in poetic Arabic to describe a 'mist' or 'fog' that descends upon the eyes during sleepiness.
Examples in context
- أشعر بالنعاس والتعبI feel sleepy and tired
- أَنَا نَعْسَانُ جِدًّا اليَوْمَ.ana na'sān jiddan al-yawm.I am very sleepy today.
- هَلْ أَنْتَ نَعْسَانُ يَا زِيَاد؟hal anta na'sān yā Ziyād?Are you sleepy, Ziad?
- الطِّفْلُ نَعْسَانُ وَيُرِيدُ النَّوْمَ.al-tiflu na'sān wa yurīdu al-nawm.The baby is sleepy and wants to sleep.
Example conversation
Ziad and Maryam are sitting in the living room late at night.
- زياد Ziadمَرْيَم، هَلْ أَنْتِ نَعْسَانَة؟Maryam, hal anti na'sānah?Maryam, are you sleepy?
- مريم Maryamلَا، لَسْتُ نَعْسَانَةً بَعْدُ.lā, lastu na'sānah ba'du.No, I am not sleepy yet.
- زياد Ziadأَنَا نَعْسَانٌ وَسَأَذْهَبُ لِلنَّوْمِ.ana na'sān wa sa-adhhabu lil-nawm.I am sleepy and I am going to sleep.
- مريم Maryamتُصْبِحُ عَلَى خَيْرٍ يَا زِيَاد.tusbih 'ala khayr yā Ziyād.Goodnight, Ziad.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleepy” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
