Chinese word

睡眠

Pronunciation

Pinyinshuì mián

Meaning

nounsleep

Example

最近我的睡眠不好，常常醒来。zuì jìn wǒ de shuì mián bù hǎo cháng cháng xǐng lái

My sleep has been poor lately, and I often wake up.

More examples

规律的睡眠有助于恢复体力。guī lǜ de shuì mián yǒu zhù yú huī fù tǐ lì

Regular sleep helps restore physical strength.

Core concept

A natural state in which awareness and reactions fade while the body and brain recover.

Common phrases

睡眠不足shuì mián bù zú
lack of sleep
睡眠质量shuì mián zhì liàng
quality of sleep
睡眠习惯shuì mián xí guàn
sleep habits

Similar words

休息xiū xī: Time spent resting the body or mind so that tiredness lessens.
失眠shī mián: A condition of not sleeping well, with trouble falling asleep or frequent waking.

Definition in Chinese

人在夜间或其他时间进入的一种自然生理状态，意识减弱、反应变慢，有助于身体和大脑恢复。rén zài yè jiān huò qí tā shí jiān jìn rù de yì zhǒng zì rán shēng lǐ zhuàng tài yì shí jiǎn ruò fǎn yìng biàn màn yǒu zhù yú shēn tǐ hé dà nǎo huī fù

Word origin

The compound 睡 (shuì, "sleep") + 眠 (mián, "sleep") combines two near-synonymous characters to name the body's resting state.

Usage tips

In everyday Chinese, this noun commonly appears with information about sleep quality, duration, or health, much as English discusses the condition of sleep rather than a single bedtime action.

Opposites

觉醒jué xǐngwakefulnessnoun

Related words

睡眠不足shuì mián bù zúlack of sleepnoun
睡眠质量shuì mián zhì liàngquality of sleepnoun
睡眠习惯shuì mián xí guànsleep habitsnoun