Korean word

잠

Pronunciation

Romanizationcham

Meaning

  • nounsleep

Example

어젯밤에는 잠이 잘 오지 않았어요.eo jet ppa me neun cha mi chal o ji a na sseo yo

I couldn't get to sleep last night.

Illustration for 잠 (sleep)

More examples

책을 읽다가 어느새 잠에 들었어요.chae geul ik tta ga eo neu sae cha me teu reo sseo yo

While reading a book, I fell asleep before I knew it.

Core concept

The body and mind become quiet, letting a person rest and move toward sleep.

Common phrases

  • 잠에 들다cha me teul da

    fall asleep

  • 잠에서 깨다cha me seo kkae da

    wake up

  • 잠을 설치다cha meul seol chi da

    sleep poorly

Similar words

졸음choreum: A wave of sleepiness that makes the eyes heavy and attention hard to hold.
낮잠natjjam: A short period of sleep taken during the daytime.
수면sumyeon: A formal term for the body's resting state while awareness is lowered.
숙면sungmyeon: A deep, undisturbed sleep that leaves the body well rested.

Definition in Korean

잠은 의식 수준이 낮아지고 신체 활동이 줄어드는 휴식 상태나 그 상태로 들어가는 과정을 의미하는 명사이다.cha meun ui sik su ju ni na ja ji go sin che hwal dong i chu reo deu neun hyu sik sang tae na keu sang tae ro teu reo ga neun kwa jeong eul ui mi ha neun myeong sa i da

Word origin

This native Korean noun is related to the verb meaning to sleep, which makes its link with sleep easy to remember.

Usage tips

  • Unlike English, which often separates sleep from sleepiness, this word can refer to both the resting state and the feeling that sleep is coming.

Other meanings

  • sleepinessnoun

Opposites

  • 깨어남kkaeeonamwakingnoun

Related words

  • 잠결chamgyeolhalf-sleepnoun
  • 잠버릇chambeoreutsleeping habitnoun

Word lists with this word