Japanese

ねむる
Meaning: to sleep
Part of Speech: Verb

Listen to pronunciation

Show inflections Hide inflections

Verb inflections

Form Affirmative Negative
Present 眠る 眠らない
Polite 眠ります 眠りません
Past 眠った 眠らなかった
Polite + Past 眠りました 眠りませんでした
Te-form 眠って 眠らなくて
Potential 眠れる 眠れない
Passive 眠られる 眠られない
Causative 眠らせる 眠らせない
Causative + Passive 眠らされる 眠らされない
Imperative 眠れ 眠るな

Handwriting

眠
る

Example sentences

The baby is sleeping soundly.
将来に不安を感じて、眠れなかった。
I felt anxious about the future and couldn't sleep.
よっぽど疲れていたのか、彼は帰宅してすぐに眠ってしまった。
He must have been quite tired, as he fell asleep as soon as he got home.
彼は使い慣れた枕でないと、ぐっすり眠れないそうだ。
He says he can't sleep soundly unless it's the pillow he's used to.
赤ちゃんが気持ちよさそうに眠っている。
The baby is sleeping comfortably.
彼女は眠っている赤ちゃんの顔を覗いた。
She looked into her baby's face as he slept.
猫は暖かい布団の中に潜り込み、ぐっすりと眠った。
The cat slipped into the warm futon and fell fast asleep.
猫が体を丸めて眠っている。
The cat is sleeping curled up.
近所の犬が夜中に吠えるので、よく眠れない。
The neighbor's dog barks in the middle of the night, so I can't sleep well.
赤ん坊はミルクを飲んでぐっすり眠っている。
The baby is drinking milk and sleeping soundly.

Usage Notes

Refers to the state of being asleep. Unlike 'neru' (to lie down/go to bed), 'nemuru' focuses on the physiological state of sleep and can be done while sitting.

Sottaku

About Sottaku

Sottaku is an app for learning Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian with a strong focus on SRS. It includes automatic flashcard creation for hundreds of thousands of words, grammar breakdowns in example sentences, language-specific study packs where available, adaptive quizzes, mobile apps, a browser extension, and community features. Give it a try now! All learning content is free with no limits on flashcards or study time.

Sottaku is built to match the habits of successful learners. By using Sottaku, you will naturally learn in the most efficient way possible, as proven by countless success stories in the language learning community.

Free Forever

Access all grammar guides, quizzes, and flashcards without paying a cent. Quality education should be accessible to everyone.

Smart SRS System

Our flashcard system uses the FSRS algorithm (also used in Anki) to optimize your review schedule and maximize retention.

Comprehensive Content

From hanzi, kana, hangul, and European vocabulary basics to grammar and reading practice where available, we have lessons for every level. Practice with quizzes tailored to your skill.

Community Chat

Ask level-appropriate questions and get help from the community. Learn together with fellow learners across all 8 supported languages.