眠 (mián) - To sleep & to close one's eyes

眠Tone 2

mián ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

眠 · mián

To sleep;

to close one's eyes;

to rest;

to be dormant.

To sleepto close one's eyesto rest

Usage highlights

To sleepInsomniaHibernationLong sleepSleeping pillSleepwalker

Synonyms

  • 睡— to sleep
  • 寝— to sleep, to rest
  • 卧— to lie down, to sleep

Antonyms

  • 醒— to wake up
  • 觉— to awaken

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I need to sleep (睡眠) for eight hours.
  • He suffers from insomnia (失眠).
  • The bear hibernates during winter (冬眠).
  • She took a short nap (小眠).

Collocations

  • To sleep(睡眠)
  • Insomnia(失眠)
  • Hibernation(冬眠)
  • Long sleep(长眠)
  • Sleeping pill(安眠药)
  • Sleepwalker(梦眠)

Idioms

  • To sleep soundly like a log(安眠如死)
  • Unable to sleep or eat(寝食难眠)
  • To rest one's eyes(目眠)
  • The sleep of death(永眠)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese medicine, proper sleep (眠) is considered essential for balancing yin and yang energies.
  • The character appears in Buddhist texts referring to states of meditation and spiritual rest.
  • Winter hibernation (冬眠) is a common concept in Chinese natural philosophy.

FAQ