眠い
nemui[ne̞mɯ̟i]
The English phrase 'sleepy' is translated into Japanese as 眠い (nemui). Wiktionary also lists 眠たい (nemutai).
Meaning: feeling the need for sleep (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 眠い | nemui | [ne̞mɯ̟i] (narrow) |
| 眠たい | nemutai | [ne̞mɯ̟ta̠i] (narrow) |
Both 眠い and 眠たい are used to describe the feeling of needing sleep. You can emphasize or exaggerate how sleepy you are by adding meccha before 眠い to create めっちゃ眠い.
Which one should you use?
眠い is the standard way to express sleepiness, while 眠たい is a slightly more colloquial or soft-sounding version.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can also add ね to the end of 眠い to form 眠いですね, which is a common way to seek agreement or express a shared feeling of sleepiness.
How do you pronounce it?
nemui
When do people say it?
A formal expression you might encounter is 睡魔に襲われています, which translates to 'I am being attacked by the sleep demon'.
Did you know?
- Using めっちゃ before 眠い is an example of regional slang from the Kansai area that has spread nationwide to express extreme intensity.
- In some contexts, 眠い can be used to describe a boring or slow-paced movie or book, effectively meaning the content 'puts you to sleep'.
- Japanese has a specific 'baby talk' version of sleepiness called おねむ. It is used by parents or when speaking to very young children to describe their drowsy state.
Examples in context
- 眠いですか？Are you sleepy?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is feeling the need for sleep.Tatoeba #81007 by tommy__san, translation #322709 by CK
- まだ眠いの？Are you still sleepy?Tatoeba #2355862 by tommy_san, translation #2121145 by MethodGT
- まだ眠たい。I'm still sleepy.This sentence is useful for stating that you are still feeling the need for sleep.Tatoeba #2786654 by arnab, translation #996964 by thayne
- すみません、今日は少し眠いです。Excuse me, but I'm feeling a bit sleepy today.
- 眠いですが、我慢します。I'm sleepy, but I will endure it.
- めっちゃ眠い！今日は早く寝よう。I'm so sleepy! I should go to bed early tonight.
- 47 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is relaxing on the sofa on a Sunday afternoon.
- 陽太 Yota陽葵、眠い？Himari, nemui?Himari, are you sleepy?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、すごく眠いよ。Un, sugoku nemui yo.Yeah, I'm really sleepy.
- 陽太 Yotaじゃあ、一緒に寝ようか。Jaa, issho ni neyou ka.Then, shall we sleep together?
- 陽葵 Himariありがとう、陽太。Arigatou, Youta.Thank you, Youta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleepy” translations and entries 眠い, 眠たい, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
