Meanings of 睡着
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Podcast: 睡着
Podcast: 睡着
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AI Study Notes for 睡着
睡 (shuì, sleep) vs 睡醒 (shuìxǐng, wake up) — use 睡着 for the state of having fallen asleep, while 睡醒 indicates the transition from sleep to wakefulness.
A common mistake is to confuse 睡着 with just 睡 (shuì), which means 'to sleep'. 睡着 emphasizes the process of falling asleep. It is generally used in informal contexts; however, it can also be used in storytelling or descriptive writing.
Though not explicitly listed in HSK levels, this word can be useful for beginners to intermediate learners (HSK 2-3). Students should practice using it in sentences related to daily routines, like discussing bedtime or situations where someone has fallen asleep.
Learners often use 睡着 incorrectly in contexts where they mean 'to sleep' rather than 'to fall asleep'. An example of a mistake is saying '我睡着了' (Wǒ shuìzhe le) when they mean 'I am sleeping' instead of 'I fell asleep'. The correct form for 'I am sleeping' would be '我在睡觉' (Wǒ zài shuìjiào).
Pronunciation of 睡着
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Component Characters
How to say to fall asleep in Chinese
“to fall asleep” in Chinese is睡着
The term 睡着 (shui4 zhao2) means 'to fall asleep' or 'to be asleep'. It is commonly used to describe the state of someone who has entered sleep, often in contexts where observing someone else's sleep is relevant. This phrase emphasizes the action of falling into a sleep state rather than the act of sleeping itself.
When to use 睡着
A common mistake is to confuse 睡着 with just 睡 (shuì), which means 'to sleep'. 睡着 emphasizes the process of falling asleep. It is generally used in informal contexts; however, it can also be used in storytelling or descriptive writing.
睡着 or something close to it
睡 (shuì, sleep) vs 睡醒 (shuìxǐng, wake up) — use 睡着 for the state of having fallen asleep, while 睡醒 indicates the transition from sleep to wakefulness.
What learners get wrong
Learners often use 睡着 incorrectly in contexts where they mean 'to sleep' rather than 'to fall asleep'. An example of a mistake is saying '我睡着了' (Wǒ shuìzhe le) when they mean 'I am sleeping' instead of 'I fell asleep'. The correct form for 'I am sleeping' would be '我在睡觉' (Wǒ zài shuìjiào).
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Frequently Asked Questions about 睡着
You can say, '他昨天晚上很早就睡着了' (Tā zuótiān wǎnshang hěn zǎo jiù shuìzhe le) meaning 'He fell asleep very early last night.'
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