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寝ると眠る

English translation: Go to bed & Sleep vs. Sleep

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Japanese term or phrase:寝ると眠る
English translation:Go to bed & Sleep vs. Sleep
Entered by: kaori.t (X)

02:44 Mar 21, 2006
Japanese to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics
Japanese term or phrase: 寝ると眠る
What is the difference between 寝る and 眠る? Both means "go to sleep". I've checked the Kokugo Jiten but I still can't figure out the difference. Can somebody help?
Wei Peng Loy
Local time: 12:05
Go to bed & Sleep vs. Sleep
Explanation:
寝る is usually used when going to bed or rest to get some sleep, but it also means sleep and, in that case, the past tense is more likely used.
もう寝る。> I'm going to bed now.
少し寝るわ。> I'm going to get some sleep.
昨日はよく寝た。> I slept very well yesterday (or last night).

眠る means sleep.
よく眠れない。> I can't sleep well.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2006-03-21 15:18:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, I have to correct my answer; 寝る (present) and 寝た (past) are both used for "sleep".

私寝るの大好き！> I love (or like) sleeping!
よく寝るなー。> You sleep a lot!
昨日はよく寝た。> I slept very well last night.

So, the difference between 寝る and 眠る is:
- 眠る is more often used to express "deep sleep"
- 寝る is used to say "sleep" in general
Selected response from:

kaori.t (X)
Japan
Local time: 13:05
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3Go to bed vs. Sleep
humbird
4 +4Go to bed & Sleep vs. Sleep
kaori.t (X)
4 +2sleep (action) vs. sleep (bodily function)
Troy Fowler


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
Go to bed vs. Sleep


Explanation:
Put the differentce into this perspective, that is, the duration of time so you will understand it clearly.

寝る　is simply you go bed to get some sleep, therefore its duration of time is short (how long does it take to go and lie on bed and fall sleep???)

眠る takes whole duration of time you are sleeping which is, in most case, 6, 7, 8 hours.


humbird
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese, Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bailatjones
3 hrs
  -> Thank you Michelle!
agree  Naikei Wong
5 hrs
  -> Thank you NKWong!
agree  Kaori Myatt
6 hrs
  -> Good to hear from you, and thank you!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

38 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +2
sleep (action) vs. sleep (bodily function)


Explanation:
While subtle, the differences are there, and can usually be detected by context and usage.

In this case, I think 寝る is the act of going to sleep.
眠るon the other hand, is the bodily function of sleeping.

For example,
昨日いつ寝ましたか？ (When did you sleep last night?)
and
昨日いつ眠りましたか？ (When did you get to sleep last night?)
Say different things.

The Kanji 眠る is also used in words like 睡眠 or 冬眠 which mean, respectively, slumber / phsyical act of sleeping and hybernate. Another hint is the 月 radical, which is used for many Kanjis related to the body (腕・膝など）. This implies 眠る is a phsyical act

Hope this helps.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2006-03-21 08:51:22 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

As has been pointed out, I misread the radical. Please disregard this comment.

Troy Fowler
United States
Local time: 21:05
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  humbird: Hah?? **月 radical, which is used for many Kanjis related to the body (腕・膝など）** You are mixing up 月(nikuzuki) and 目(me-hen). Take a close look at those Kanjis. Point you are raising is irrelevant and incorrect.
1 hr
  -> I stand corrected about the radical. ("1　hr close look???")
agree  Mary Murata
4 hrs
agree  Anders Olsson (X): I believe that all three answers are correct, but Rasputin gives the most clear explanation of the difference.
4 hrs
agree  Naikei Wong
7 hrs
disagree  Maynard Hogg: Your 昨日いつ○ましたか？ examples are most misleading.
7 hrs
neutral  Jang Miri: Can anyone help me please ?? One of my japanese friends asked me " そちらはまだ、夜ですか？" and I want to say "Yes , here it's bedtime..but I still can't sleep." in japanese and I'm a bit confuse..is it correct this way ?? : "はい、ここでそれは就寝時間だ..しかし私はまだ眠ることができない。"?(╥﹏╥)
1949 days
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3 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +4
Go to bed & Sleep vs. Sleep


Explanation:
寝る is usually used when going to bed or rest to get some sleep, but it also means sleep and, in that case, the past tense is more likely used.
もう寝る。> I'm going to bed now.
少し寝るわ。> I'm going to get some sleep.
昨日はよく寝た。> I slept very well yesterday (or last night).

眠る means sleep.
よく眠れない。> I can't sleep well.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 12 hrs (2006-03-21 15:18:51 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Sorry, I have to correct my answer; 寝る (present) and 寝た (past) are both used for "sleep".

私寝るの大好き！> I love (or like) sleeping!
よく寝るなー。> You sleep a lot!
昨日はよく寝た。> I slept very well last night.

So, the difference between 寝る and 眠る is:
- 眠る is more often used to express "deep sleep"
- 寝る is used to say "sleep" in general

kaori.t (X)
Japan
Local time: 13:05
Native speaker of: Native in JapaneseJapanese
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Bailatjones
1 hr
agree  Naikei Wong
4 hrs
agree  Maynard Hogg: Your forgot 何人と寝たか (How many have you slept with?) and 彼女と寝ればいいでしょう (She will put you up.)
4 hrs
agree  KathyT
1 day 21 hrs
neutral  Jang Miri: Can anyone help me please ?? One of my japanese friends asked me " そちらはまだ、夜ですか？" and I want to say "Yes , here it's bedtime..but I still can't sleep." in japanese and I'm a bit confuse..is it correct this way ?? : "はい、ここでそれは就寝時間だ..しかし私はまだ眠ることができない。" ?
1949 days
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



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