睡梦 (shuì mèng) — sleep; dream (during sleep); slumber | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

sleepdream (during sleep)slumber

Examples

睡梦。
Tā cháng cháng zài shuì mèng zhōng wēi xiào.
She often smiles in her dreams.
睡梦。
Wǒ cóng yí gè qí guài de shuì mèng zhōng xǐng lái.
I woke up from a strange dream.
睡梦，。
Zài shuì mèng zhōng, tā huí dào le gù xiāng.
In his dream, he returned to his hometown.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

睡 and 梦 both evoke sleeping and dreaming, together naming sleep or dreams.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

目垂睡

Meaning part形符xíngfú

目目mùeye

Sound part声符shēngfú

垂

垂chuí睡shuì

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

睡 combines 目, an eye, with 垂, which gives its sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 夢; 梦 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

瞢

瞢méng夢mèng

Same sound today

The traditional form 夢 pairs 夕 (night) with 瞢, which gives the sound; its older form showed a person lying with an eye emphasized.

Appears in

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