Japanese word

寝不足

Pronunciation

Romajinebusoku

Meaning

  • na-adjectivesleep-deprived

Example

今日は寝不足です。kyō wa ne fu soku de su

I am sleep-deprived today.

Illustration for 寝不足 (sleep-deprived)

More examples

午後になると、寝不足で仕事に集中できません。go go ni na ru to ne bu soku de shi goto ni shū chū de ki ma se n

By the afternoon, I cannot concentrate on my work because I am sleep-deprived.

Core concept

Marks a condition in which insufficient sleep prevents someone from feeling fully rested.

Common phrases

  • 寝不足になるne bu soku ni na ru

    become sleep-deprived

  • 寝不足な人ne bu soku na hito

    a sleep-deprived person

  • 寝不足でつらいne bu soku de tsu ra i

    feel awful from lack of sleep

Similar words

睡眠不足suiminfusoku: A formal term for a condition caused by getting less sleep than the body needs.

Definition in Japanese

眠る時間が不足し、心身が休まりきっていない状態。nemu ru ji kan ga fu soku shi shin shin ga yasu ma ri ki tte i na i jō tai

Word origin

寝 (ne, "sleeping") combines with 不足 (busoku, "shortage") to express a shortage of sleep.

Usage tips

  • In English, sleep-deprived usually describes a person, whereas lack of sleep names the condition, but Japanese uses 寝不足 (nebusoku) in both roles.

Other meanings

  • lack of sleepnoun

Opposites

  • 寝足りるnetariruget enough sleepverb

Related words

  • 寝不足気味nefusokukimislightly sleep-deprivedna-adjective
  • 寝不足感nefusokukanfeeling of sleep deprivationnoun

Word lists with this word