To let the eyelids droop and sink into dozing off.
To sleep, go to bed, or be asleep. An eye (目) beside drooping lids (垂) closing down into sleep.
睡
Common Usage & Traps
- 睡觉 — to sleep (the everyday word for going to bed)
- 睡了 — slept / went to sleep
- 没睡 — didn't sleep / not asleep yet
- 睡好 — sleep well
- 睡不好 — sleep badly
- 睡了吗 — Are you asleep? / Have you gone to bed?
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我去睡我去睡了Standalone 我去睡 sounds cut off; add 了 or a next phrase.
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睡觉了八分钟睡了八分钟When you add a time length, use 睡, not 睡觉.
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我睡觉不好我睡不好To describe bad sleep quality, use 睡不好, not 睡觉不好.
Why do you say 我去睡觉了 but 我睡了八分钟 — where did 觉 go?
睡觉 is the everyday 'sleep' word; 睡 takes the time length.
睡觉 is the full word for going to bed, like 'hit the sack.' It doesn't like a time length stuck after it. Once you say how long, switch to 睡: 睡了八分钟. If you just say 'I'm going to bed,' 我去睡觉了 or 我去睡了 both work. The difference is what you add after the verb.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Going to bed | 我去睡觉了 | 我去睡 |
| Slept 8 minutes | 睡了八分钟 | 睡觉了八分钟 |
Why does 睡着了 mean 'fell asleep' while 睡觉了 just means 'went to bed'?
睡觉了 means you went to bed; 睡着了 means you actually dropped off.
睡觉 is the act of going to bed or sleeping. 睡着 adds a success signal: you made it across the line into sleep. If you are still awake, say 我还没睡着. If you haven't gone to bed yet, say 我还没睡觉. The 着 here is not 'right now'; it's 'got the result.'
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Actually dropped off | 我睡着了 | 我睡觉了 |
| Still awake | 我还没睡着 | 我还没睡觉 |
| Went to bed | 我去睡觉了 | 我睡着了 |
What's the difference between 睡不好 and 没睡好?
睡不好 is a pattern; 没睡好 is about one specific night.
没睡好 means 'didn't sleep well' — usually last night. 睡不好 means 'sleep badly' as a regular thing. If you're complaining this morning, say 我昨晚没睡好. If it's a long-term problem, say 我最近睡不好. Mixing them makes natives hear the wrong time frame.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Last night | 我昨晚没睡好 | 我昨晚睡不好 |
| Ongoing problem | 我最近睡不好 | 我最近没睡好 |
Appears in Stories 4 stories
Step through a full day—from morning routines to bedtime—and pick up practical phrases for telling time and talking about your own schedule with a typical Chinese rhyme.
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学习到九点， 睡觉 十点半。
Meet Dr. Mi, a doctor and teacher at Sichuan University. This simple HSK 1 story shows his daily routine from morning to night, helping you learn time expressions and everyday activities.
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他晚上十点多 睡觉 。
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
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这几天，他一直 睡不好 。
Everyday greetings are a gateway to natural Chinese. Practice time-based hellos like “早上好” and “晚安,” learn to address teachers with the respectful “您,” and see how families skip formalities to speak warmly at home.
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想去 睡觉 说晚安！
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