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March 24, 2026
睡shuì(shui4)
睡 (shuì) means 'to sleep' or 'to lie down', indicating the act of resting or being in a state of sleep. It is commonly used in contexts related to bedtime routines, napping, or expressing tiredness. The nuance can vary from deep sleep to casual resting.
Strokes13Radical目Frequency#425DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note
Sleep is highly valued in Chinese culture, often viewed as essential for health and well-being. The practice of napping, especially in the afternoon, is common in many Chinese workplaces and schools.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person lying down with their eyes closed, dreaming sweet dreams. The character 睡 (shuì) has the radical 'sleep' represented by the top part, while the bottom part suggests a person at rest. Visualize a 'sleepy sheep' to remember both the meaning and the sound.
Meanings of 睡
shuì(shui4)
1to sleep
2to lie down
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 睡
睡Simplified
13Strokes
目Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#425Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1
Podcast: 睡
Podcast: 睡
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AI Study Notes for 睡
Quick Contrast
熟睡 (shú shuì) vs 睡 (shuì) — use 睡 for general sleep,熟睡 specifically indicates deep sleep.
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tones; 睡 is pronounced with a falling tone (fourth tone), which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It is often used in phrases like '睡觉' (shuì jiào) for 'to sleep' or '去睡觉' (qù shuì jiào) meaning 'to go to sleep'.
HSK Study Tips
Although 睡 is not part of the HSK levels, it is a fundamental verb that connects with other daily life verbs like 吃 (chī - to eat) and 喝 (hē - to drink). Focus on using it in practical sentences and combining it with other vocabulary related to daily routines.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 睡 with 觉, leading to incorrect phrases like '我睡觉' instead of the correct '我在睡觉' (wǒ zài shuì jiào - I am sleeping). Additionally, using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely, so practice is key.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 睡
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Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 垂 represents the sound.
1The meaning half目 carries the sense.
2The sound half垂 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
3The giveawayeye
4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 睡? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 睡?
Decomposition of 睡
IDS Structure⿰目垂
睡Full Character
=
目mu4
left
垂chui2
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 睡?
How to say to sleep in Chinese
“to sleep” in Chinese is睡shuì
睡 (shuì) means 'to sleep' or 'to lie down', indicating the act of resting or being in a state of sleep. It is commonly used in contexts related to bedtime routines, napping, or expressing tiredness. The nuance can vary from deep sleep to casual resting.
When to use 睡
Be cautious with the tones; 睡 is pronounced with a falling tone (fourth tone), which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It is often used in phrases like '睡觉' (shuì jiào) for 'to sleep' or '去睡觉' (qù shuì jiào) meaning 'to go to sleep'.
睡 or something close to it
熟睡 (shú shuì) vs 睡 (shuì) — use 睡 for general sleep,熟睡 specifically indicates deep sleep.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 睡 with 觉, leading to incorrect phrases like '我睡觉' instead of the correct '我在睡觉' (wǒ zài shuì jiào - I am sleeping). Additionally, using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely, so practice is key.
Write 睡
睡
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Practice writing 睡 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
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Grammar Patterns of 睡
睡 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 3 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
