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睡 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
睡shuìto sleepHSK 1, v, 13 strokes, radical 目, rank #425, Easy
睡shuìto lie downHSK 1, v, 13 strokes, radical 目, rank #425, Easy
睡shuìto sleep, to dozeHSK 1, v, 13 strokes, radical 目, rank #425, Easy
shuì(shui4) T4
  1. 1to sleep
  2. 2to lie down
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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

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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.

Memory Mnemonic

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.

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.

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.

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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Etymology of 睡

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 垂 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

eye

Semantic (meaning)目
+
Phonetic (sound)垂
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
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?

Write 睡

睡

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.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

我每天晚上十一点____觉。

I go to sleep at 11 p.m. every night.

Example Sentences for 睡 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
毛毯能让你睡得更温暖、更舒适。

máo tǎn néng ràng nǐ shuì dé gēng wēn nuǎn、 、 gēng shū。

The blanket will provide additional warmth and comfort in bed.
2
我不知道你怎样，但是我要睡觉了。

wǒ bù zhī dào nǐ zěn yàng， ， dàn shì wǒ yào shuì jué。

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for bed.
3
他的衣服皱巴巴的，好像他是穿着衣服睡的。

tā de yī fú zhòu bā bā de， ， hǎo xiàng tā shì chuān zháo yī fú shuì。

His clothes were creased, as if he had slept in them.
4
静脉注射了镇静剂后病人安然入睡。

jìng mài zhù shè le zhèn jìng jì hòu bìng rén ān rán rù shuì。

The patient is sedated with intravenous use of sedative drugs.
5
这件事我总是放在星期六晚上睡觉前做。

zhè jiàn shì wǒ zǒng shì fàng zài xīng qī liù wǎn shàng shuì jué qián zuò。

I always do it last thing on a Saturday.
6
杰姆好好睡了一觉之后又变得精力充沛了。

jié mǔ hǎo hǎo shuì le yī jué zhī hòu yòu biàn dé jīng lì chōng pèi le。

Jem was full of beans after a long sleep.
7
他刚过午夜就睡着了，睡得还算安稳。

tā gāng guò wǔ yè jiù shuì zháo le， ， shuì dé huán suàn ān。

He fell asleep just past midnight with tolerable ease.
8
他从睡梦中醒来，浑身冒着冷汗。

tā cóng shuì mèng zhōng xǐng lái， ， hún shēn mào zháo lěng。

He awoke from his sleep in a cold sweat.
9
阿拉斯泰尔背部有毛病，所以我们睡硬板床。

ā lā sī tài ěr bèi bù yǒu máo bìng， ， suǒ yǐ wǒ mén shuì yìng bǎn。

Alastair has a bad back so we have a hard bed.
10
梅森回家睡了几个小时。

méi sēn huí jiā shuì le jī gè xiǎo shí。

Mason went home for a couple of hours' kip.

Cultural Notes for 睡

🏮Cultural insight

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.

Word Family of 睡

Words Containing This Character20
睡shuìto sleep
睡觉shuìjiàoto go to bed睡覺
睡眠shuìmiánsleep
睡着shuìzháoto fall asleep睡著
睡衣pajamas
入睡to fall asleep
睡醒to wake up
沉睡to be fast asleep
熟睡asleep
午睡wǔshuìsiesta
瞌睡drowsy
睡意sleepiness
打瞌睡to doze off
昏睡sleep
睡袋shuìdàisleeping bag
睡懒觉to sleep in睡懶覺
昏昏欲睡drowsy
睡袍nightgown
睡美人Sleeping Beauty
睡过头to oversleep睡過頭
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 睡 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 睡

You can say '我想睡觉' (wǒ xiǎng shuì jiào).