German word

schlafen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃlaːfən/

Meaning

  • verbsleep

Example

Ich schlafe heute Nacht gut.

I'll sleep well tonight.

Illustration for schlafen (sleep)

More examples

Am Nachmittag schlafe ich oft auf dem Sofa.

In the afternoon, I often sleep on the sofa.

Core concept

A body lies still for a while, awake activity stops, and physical recovery takes place.

Common phrases

  • früh schlafen gehen

    go to bed early

  • auf dem Sofa schlafen

    sleep on the sofa

  • tagsüber schlafen

    sleep during the day

Similar words

einschlafen: Start sleeping.
aufwachen: Wake from sleep.
aufstehen: Rise after resting and begin normal activity.
ausruhen: Stay still and rest to recover energy.

Definition in German

Für eine bestimmte Zeit nicht wach sein und den Körper regenerieren

Word origin

German schlafen continues Old High German slafan and shares the Germanic root reconstructed as *slēpaną with English sleep.

Usage tips

  • The common phrase schlafen gehen means go to bed and does not necessarily state that sleep has already begun.

Opposites

Related words

  • einschlafenfall asleepverb
  • der Schlafsleepnoun
  • schläfrigsleepyadjective

Word lists with this word