眠ねむり

〈人ひと〉の眠ねむりが浅あさいsomeone's sleep is light
最さい近きん、眠ねむりが浅あさくて疲つかれが取とれない。
Lately my sleep has been light, and I can't get rid of my fatigue.
〈物もの・事こと〉が〈人ひと〉の眠ねむりを妨さまたげるsomething disturbs someone's sleep
外そとの騒そう音おんが私わたしの眠ねむりを妨さまたげた。
The noise outside disturbed my sleep.
〈物もの〉が眠ねむりを誘さそうsomething induces sleep
静しずかな音おん楽がくが眠ねむりを誘さそう。
Quiet music induces sleep.

Expressions

永えい遠えんの眠ねむりeternal sleep; death
眠ねむりにつくfall asleep; go to sleep
眠ねむりに落おちるfall asleep; drift off to sleep
眠ねむりから覚さめるwake up; awake from sleep
安やすらかにお眠ねむりくださいrest in peace; RIP

Kanji

眠sleep, die, sleepy
睡drowsy, sleep, die

Related words

睡すい眠みんN3sense 1
睡眠 is the formal or medical term for sleep, while 眠り is the more everyday, literary noun form of 眠る.
惰だ眠みん sense 2
惰眠 specifically means idle, lazy sleep or dormancy, whereas 眠り can refer to any kind of sleep, literal or figurative.
寝ね
眠り is a fuller, more literary word for sleep or slumber, whereas 寝 is a terse noun restricted to set phrases.

Opposites

覚かく醒せい sense 1
覚醒 means waking up or becoming conscious, the direct opposite of 眠り (being asleep).

Politeness

お休やすみpolite 丁寧語N2sense 1
お休み is the polite, everyday way to refer to someone's sleep or rest, while 眠り is the plainer, more literal noun for sleep.

Don't confuse with

眠ねむ気けN1sense 1
眠気 means drowsiness or the feeling of sleepiness, while 眠り refers to the actual state of being asleep.

Word family· 10

居い眠ねむりN3
nodding off (while sitting); dozing
一ひと眠ねむりN1
nap; short sleep · first sleep of silkworms
眠ねむり込こむN2
fall asleep; sleep deeply

Written forms

眠りUsage96%
- ねむり
  Standard kanji spelling for 'sleep'.
- ねぶり
  out-dated reading

Etymology

Noun form of the verb 眠る (ねむる, 'to sleep'), which is of native Japanese origin. The kanji 眠 is a phono-semantic compound: 目 (eye) + 民 (phonetic, also suggests 'close'), indicating closing the eyes.

眠ねむり病びょう

sleeping sickness

眠ねむり草ぐさ

mimosa; sensitive plant

Show 5 more

眠ねむり薬ぐすり
sleeping drug; sleeping powder; narcotic; anesthetic
空そら眠ねむり
feigned sleep; pretending to be asleep
眠ねむり流ながし
sleep demon banishing ritual
眠ねむりこける
sleep like a log; sleep deeply
眠ねむりつわり
extreme sleepiness during pregnancy; pregnancy fatigue

ねむり

Usage4%

Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially for the abstract or euphemistic senses.

ねぶりUsage1%

out-dated reading

睡り

rarely-used kanji form

ねむり
Rarely used kanji form; 眠り is preferred.
ねぶり
out-dated reading