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What is the Kanji for 'Sleep' and 'Sleepy'? | 眠

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Sleep' and 'Sleepy', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Sleep' and 'Sleepy' is 眠.

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sleep, Sleepy

    Reading

    kunyomiねむ

    nemu

    onyomiみん

    min

    Parts

    Eye People, Nation

    Example Word

    居眠り: doze. The Japanese verbal noun '居眠り (いねむり)' refers to the act of dozing off or taking a nap, often unintentionally or in a situation where one is expected to be awake, such as during a meeting or class. It implies a light, brief sleep rather than a deep, intentional rest. For example: I dozed off during the meeting「会議中に居眠りをした」(かいぎちゅうにいねむりをした). The student was dozing in class「その学生は授業中に居眠りをしていた」(そのがくせいはじゅぎょうちゅうにいねむりをしていた). This word is often used to describe a situation where someone falls asleep due to boredom or fatigue.

    Radical

    Stroke Count

    10

    JLPT

    N3

    Grade

    7

    Frequency

    652

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    Meaning

    Eye

    kanji

    Meaning

    People, Nation

Words Using

This kanji is used in 6 words:

Kanji Related to Through the Part

These 23 kanji contain the part 目 as well.

    kanji

    Meaning

    See

    kanji

    Meaning

    Shellfish

    kanji

    Meaning

    Straight, Repair

    kanji

    Meaning

    Self

    kanji

    Meaning

    Calculate

    kanji

    Meaning

    Prefecture

    kanji

    Meaning

    Arrive, Wear

    kanji

    Meaning

    Mutual

    kanji

    Meaning

    Ministry, Conserve

    kanji

    Meaning

    Tool

    kanji

    Meaning

    Coach, Supervise

    kanji

    Meaning

    Shield

    kanji

    Meaning

    Watch

    kanji

    Meaning

    Eyeball

    kanji

    Meaning

    Blink, Flash

    kanji

    Meaning

    Sleep, Drowsy

    kanji

    Meaning

    Blind

    kanji

    Meaning

    Stare, Look out over

    kanji

    Meaning

    Risk

    kanji

    Meaning

    Eyebrows

    kanji

    Meaning

    Pupil

    kanji

    Meaning

    Clear

    kanji

    Meaning

    Friendly

Learn the Kanji

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 眠 mean?

眠 means 'Sleep' and 'Sleepy'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Junior Highschool, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N3 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.