冬とう眠みん

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Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

冬眠する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

hibernation; winter sleep; brumation; torpor

Refers to the state of dormancy in animals during winter. Can also be used metaphorically for a period of inactivity.

〈動どう物ぶつ〉が冬とう眠みんするfor an animal to hibernate
クマは冬ふゆになると冬とう眠みんする。
Bears hibernate when winter comes.
冬とう眠みんから覚さめるto wake up from hibernation
春はるになるとリスは冬とう眠みんから覚さめる。
When spring comes, the squirrel wakes up from hibernation.
冬とう眠みんに入はいるto enter hibernation
気き温おんが下さがるとカメは冬とう眠みんに入はいる。
When the temperature drops, the turtle enters hibernation.

休きゅう眠みん
休眠 is a broader term for dormancy that can apply to animals, plants, or even organizations, while 冬眠 refers specifically to winter hibernation in animals.
越えっ冬とう
冬眠 refers specifically to deep biological hibernation, while 越冬 more broadly covers any way of getting through winter, including staying active or migrating.

夏か眠みん
夏眠 is dormancy during the hot summer months (estivation), the seasonal opposite of 冬眠, which is dormancy during winter.

越えっ冬とう
越冬 means simply to get through winter (e.g. by staying active or migrating), whereas 冬眠 specifically implies a dormant, sleep-like state.
睡すい眠みんN3
冬眠 means hibernation, a long seasonal dormancy specific to certain animals, whereas 睡眠 is ordinary daily sleep for humans and animals alike.
仮か眠みん
冬眠 means animal hibernation over winter, while 仮眠 means a short human nap; the words share 眠 but differ completely in meaning.

Compound of 冬 (winter) and 眠 (sleep). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji directly convey the meaning of winter sleep.