睡着 (shuì zháo) — to fall asleep, to be asleep | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

睡着 (shuì zháo) is a separable verb meaning 'to fall asleep / be asleep' — the 着 attaches as a result complement, and its negative is 睡不着 ('can't fall asleep').

verb

to fall asleepto be asleep

Examples

睡着。
Wǒ zuó wǎn hěn kuài jiù shuì zháo le.
I fell asleep quickly last night.
睡着，。
Tā yǐ jīng shuì zháo le, bié chǎo xǐng tā.
He's already asleep — don't wake him up.
，。
Wǒ zuó tiān tài xīng fèn, zěn me yě shuì bù zháo.
I was too excited yesterday and simply couldn't fall asleep.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

补充bǔchōngVerb + complement

An action followed by its result or direction.

睡 and 着 combine to mean falling asleep.

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 著; 着 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艸艸cǎograss; plant

Sound part声符shēngfú

者

者zhě著zháo

Same sound today

The traditional form 著 puts 艸 (grass; plant) above 者, which gives the sound; the simplified 着 is a later shorthand.

Appears in

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