TongTong
Sign in

睡眠 (shuì mián) — sleep (physiological state); (computing) sleep mode

Definition

睡眠 is the formal noun for 'sleep' as a state or field — used in phrases like 睡眠不足 ('lack of sleep'). Compare 睡觉, the everyday verb 'to sleep'; 休眠 is the technical term (biology, computing).

noun
sleep (physiological state)(computing) sleep mode

Examples

  • 睡眠。
    Wǒ měi tiān xū yào bā xiǎo shí de shuì mián.
    I need eight hours of sleep every day.
  • 睡眠。
    Liáng hǎo de shuì mián duì jiàn kāng hěn zhòng yào.
    Good sleep is very important for health.
  • 睡眠。
    Wǒ de shǒu jī kě yǐ jìn rù shuì mián mó shì.
    My phone can enter sleep mode.

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shuìsleep
眠miánsleep

睡 and 眠 both mean sleeping, together forming the state of sleep.

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.

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.

Open 睡 →

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

Meaning part形符xíngfú
目目mùeye
Sound part声符shēngfú
民
民mín眠mián
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

眠 uses 目 (eye) to show the idea of closing the eyes, with 民 giving the sound.

Open 眠 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 5Daily Routine

Browse more HSK 5 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.