Sleep in Different Languages
Discover 'Sleep' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Navigating through the tranquil realms of rest, 'sleep' stands as a universal necessity, transcending mere biological function to wear a mantle of vast cultural and historical significance. This essential act of rejuvenation is celebrated, mythologized, and deeply embedded in the cultural tapestry of societies worldwide. From the serene 'sueño' in Spanish to the poetic '睡眠' (shuìmián) in Chinese, knowing how to say sleep in different languages offers a unique lens to appreciate the nuanced perspectives cultures hold about rest. Historically, sleep has been a symbol of peace, a canvas for dreams, and a portal to the divine in many traditions. Interesting facts, such as the diverse sleeping habits and interpretations of dreams across cultures, enrich the tapestry of sleep's global narrative. For language enthusiasts and global travelers alike, delving into the translations of 'sleep' opens a fascinating gateway to understanding the rich cultural fabrics of the world.
Below are some enlightening translations of sleep that highlight the linguistic and cultural diversity of this universal experience.
Sleep
Sleep in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | slaap | ||
| The word "slaap" in Afrikaans also means "temple" or "forehead". | |||
| Amharic | መተኛት | ||
| The word መተኛት may also refer to the setting of the Sun. | |||
| Hausa | barci | ||
| "Barci" can also mean "to die" in Hausa. | |||
| Igbo | hie ụra | ||
| "Hie" is an imperative word used to ask someone to sleep, while "ụra" is the state of sleeping. | |||
| Malagasy | torimaso | ||
| The Malagasy word "torimaso" also means "to lose consciousness". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tulo | ||
| The word "tulo" can also mean "bed" in Nyanja (Chichewa). | |||
| Shona | rara | ||
| The word "rara" is also used to mean "rest", or even "peace". In fact the name for the Shona tribe is derived from this root. | |||
| Somali | seexo | ||
| "Seexo" can also mean "to be at peace" or "to be content" in Somali. | |||
| Sesotho | robala | ||
| The word "robala" can be traced back to the Proto-Bantu word "-lal" and is also related to the Zulu word "ukalala". | |||
| Swahili | lala | ||
| The Swahili word "lala" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*lala/*laal" meaning "to lie down" or "to recline". | |||
| Xhosa | lala | ||
| The word "lala" also means "to relax" or "to rest" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | sun | ||
| The Yoruba word 'sun' has an alternate meaning of 'relax' or 'rest', capturing the sense of tranquility associated with both sleep and relaxation. | |||
| Zulu | lala | ||
| In Zulu, 'lala' also means 'to go to bed' or 'to take a nap', further expanding its semantic range beyond merely 'sleeping'. | |||
| Bambara | ka sunɔgɔ | ||
| Ewe | dᴐ alɔ̃ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | gusinzira | ||
| Lingala | mpongi | ||
| Luganda | otulo | ||
| Sepedi | robala | ||
| Twi (Akan) | da | ||
Sleep in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | ينام | ||
| The Arabic root "نام" of the verb "ينام" also means "to die", suggesting the close association between sleep and death in Arabic culture. | |||
| Hebrew | לִישׁוֹן | ||
| לִישׁוֹן means both "to sleep" and "to speak" in Hebrew, a rare example of a word with two completely unrelated meanings | |||
| Pashto | خوب | ||
| The Pashto word "خوب" also means "peace" and "comfort". | |||
| Arabic | ينام | ||
| The Arabic root "نام" of the verb "ينام" also means "to die", suggesting the close association between sleep and death in Arabic culture. | |||
Sleep in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gjumi | ||
| The Albanian word "gjumi" is thought to share a common origin with the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʰewm-," meaning "to lie down or sleep." | |||
| Basque | lo egin | ||
| In the expression “egin”, the root “egi” means to do or to make, while the suffix “n” indicates that the action is completed. | |||
| Catalan | dormir | ||
| The Catalan word "dormir" derives from the Latin "dormire" and also means "to numb" or "to make insensitive". | |||
| Croatian | spavati | ||
| In Croatian, 'spavati' can also refer to a deep sleep, a state of unconsciousness, or passing away. | |||
| Danish | søvn | ||
| The word "søvn" originally derives from the Old Norse and Proto-Germanic ""swepnaz"", meaning "weak, feeble" or "loss of conciousness". | |||
| Dutch | slaap | ||
| Slaap (sleep) is cognate with the English word 'slip' and originally referred to 'sliding off' or 'slacking' into sleep. | |||
| English | sleep | ||
| The word 'sleep' comes from the Old English word 'slæp', which can also mean 'a blow' or 'a killing'. | |||
| French | dormir | ||
| The word "dormir" may also refer to a state of hibernation or numbness in French. | |||
| Frisian | sliep | ||
| Sliep in Frisian can also mean 'rest', or a nap, or a break. | |||
| Galician | durmir | ||
| "Durmir" (sleep) in Galician comes from the Latin verb "dormire", which also means "to numb" or "to make dull". | |||
| German | schlaf | ||
| The German word "Schlaf" has a Slavic origin and is related to the Russian word "spat'" (спать) meaning "to sleep." | |||
| Icelandic | sofa | ||
| In Icelandic, "sofa" also refers to a "sheep pen". | |||
| Irish | codladh | ||
| The Irish word "codladh" derives from the Old Irish "cotlud" meaning "slumber," and can also refer to a "nap" or "doze." | |||
| Italian | dormire | ||
| The Latin verb "dormire" is also the origin of "dormitory" and "dormant." | |||
| Luxembourgish | schlofen | ||
| The word "schlofen" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Old High German word "slafan", which also means "to sleep". | |||
| Maltese | irqad | ||
| "Irqad" is also used to describe a period of hibernation, or the state of being dormant. | |||
| Norwegian | sove | ||
| The word "sove" in Norwegian is also used to refer to a place where animals stay, particularly a pigsty. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | dormir | ||
| In modern Portuguese, dormir is used for all meanings of "sleep", except for the "sleeping with someone" sense which instead uses the archaic deitar. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cadal | ||
| The noun "cadal" is also used in Scots Gaelic to refer to an interval of time between dusk and nightfall, as well as a lullaby or a calming effect. | |||
| Spanish | dormir | ||
| The verb "dormir" shares an etymological origin with "dormitory" because of the concept of sleeping in a dormitory. | |||
| Swedish | sömn | ||
| Ordet sömn, som kommer från fornvästnordiskan, kan även hänvisa till ett sömnpiller. | |||
| Welsh | cysgu | ||
| The Welsh word "cysgu" is derived from the Proto-Celtic root "*kasg-," meaning "to cover, hide, or conceal". | |||
Sleep in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | спаць | ||
| The word "спаць" in Belarusian is related to the Old Prussian word "supan" which means "to rest" or "to lie down". | |||
| Bosnian | spavati | ||
| "Spavati" shares its root with the Russian word "spat" (спать), meaning "to sleep". | |||
| Bulgarian | сън | ||
| Bulgarian "сън" is derived from PIE root *swep-, meaning to sleep or dream, and is related to English "sopor" meaning sleepiness or coma. | |||
| Czech | spát | ||
| The Czech word "spát" is a homonym for "to weave", with both words originating from the Proto-Slavic root *sъpati. | |||
| Estonian | magama | ||
| "Magama" is also slang for "to get drunk". In the latter meaning, the word is used both as a noun and a verb. | |||
| Finnish | nukkua | ||
| "Nukkua" is a loanword from a Germanic language, and its cognates include "nicker" and "nightmare" in English, "nick" in German, and "niksen" in Dutch. | |||
| Hungarian | alvás | ||
| The Hungarian word "alvás" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *swep-, meaning "to sleep" or "to rest." | |||
| Latvian | gulēt | ||
| The word “Gulēt” in Latvian, meaning "to sleep," also has an archaic meaning referring to a state of trance or unconsciousness. | |||
| Lithuanian | miegoti | ||
| The word "miegoti" also means "to live in a place" or "to stay somewhere for a long time" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | спиење | ||
| Спиење (spieње, sleep) additionally means 'the state of being asleep' in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | spać | ||
| "Spać" comes from the Proto-Slavic "*spěti", which also meant "to be inactive, to rest". | |||
| Romanian | dormi | ||
| Dormi is also an informal and poetic way to refer to the place where someone sleeps, similar to "bed" or "nest". | |||
| Russian | спать | ||
| In Russian, the word "спать" can also mean "to be dormant" or "to be inactive". | |||
| Serbian | спавати | ||
| In Serbian, the verb "spavati" ("to sleep") shares its root with "spokoj" ("peace") and "spokojan" ("calm"). | |||
| Slovak | spať | ||
| The word "spať" is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *spati, which also meant "to rest" or "to lie down". | |||
| Slovenian | spanje | ||
| The related verb "spaniti" can mean "to tie" or "to imprison". | |||
| Ukrainian | спати | ||
| The word "спати" in Ukrainian is derived from Proto-Slavic "*spati", and is cognate with English "sleep" and French "sommeil". | |||
Sleep in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | ঘুম | ||
| "ঘুম" (sleep) can also mean "nap" or "drowsiness" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | ઊંઘ | ||
| "ઊંઘ" in Gujarati can also mean to close the upper or lower eyelid(s). | |||
| Hindi | नींद | ||
| The Hindi word 'नींद' also means an 'intoxicant beverage'. | |||
| Kannada | ನಿದ್ರೆ | ||
| Malayalam | ഉറക്കം | ||
| In Malayalam, "ഉറക്കം" can also refer to a temporary or short nap, as well as a state of drowsiness or inactivity. | |||
| Marathi | झोप | ||
| The Marathi word "झोप" also means "dream" and "a nap". | |||
| Nepali | सुत्नु | ||
| The Nepali word "सुत्नु" can also refer to the act of reclining, resting, or ceasing activity. | |||
| Punjabi | ਨੀਂਦ | ||
| The word "ਨੀਂਦ" can also refer to a trance-like state or a state of unconsciousness. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | නින්ද | ||
| The Sinhala word "නින්ද" is derived from the Sanskrit word "निद्रा" (nidrā), which also means "sleep". | |||
| Tamil | தூங்கு | ||
| The term 'தூங்கு' may also refer to becoming intoxicated from alcohol consumption | |||
| Telugu | నిద్ర | ||
| Telugu word 'నిద్ర' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'निद्रा' (nidra), and also means 'slumber', 'hibernation', 'coma'. | |||
| Urdu | نیند | ||
| The word "نیند" can also refer to "drowsiness" or "a state of unconsciousness" | |||
Sleep in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 睡觉 | ||
| 睡觉 can also refer to "going to bed" or "falling asleep"} | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 睡覺 | ||
| 睡覺 (Traditional Chinese), also a slang for 'to die', is comprised of 睡 (shuì), which means 'rest', and 覺 (jiào) meaning both 'awake' and 'consciousness'. | |||
| Japanese | 睡眠 | ||
| In Japanese, "睡眠" also means "a state of oblivion or unconsciousness caused by anesthesia or drugs." | |||
| Korean | 자다 | ||
| 자다 (jada) can also refer to the act of resting, lying down, or being inactive, not necessarily sleep. | |||
| Mongolian | унтах | ||
| Mongolian "унтах" (sleep) means "to fall into sleep" and is related to the word "унт” (a dream). | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | အိပ်ပါ | ||
Sleep in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | tidur | ||
| The word "tidur" is also used to describe a state of unconsciousness caused by illness or fatigue. | |||
| Javanese | turu | ||
| The word "turu" has other meanings, including "to take a break" and "to hibernate". | |||
| Khmer | គេង | ||
| គេង (keang) in Khmer can also refer to a nap or a state of unconsciousness. | |||
| Lao | ນອນ | ||
| The word 'ນອນ' ('sleep') in Lao is also used to refer to 'lying down' or 'resting', and is cognate with the Thai word 'นอน' ('sleep') | |||
| Malay | tidur | ||
| "Tidur" also means "to lie down" or "to rest" in Malay. | |||
| Thai | นอน | ||
| The word "นอน" (sleep) also means "to stay" or "to be still" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | ngủ | ||
| Vietnamese 'ngủ' originally meant 'to lie down' or 'to rest' and can also refer to death in some contexts. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matulog | ||
Sleep in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | yatmaq | ||
| The word "yatmaq" in Azerbaijani can also mean "to lie down" or "to go to bed" | |||
| Kazakh | ұйқы | ||
| The word "ұйқы" also means "rest" or "slumber" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | уйку | ||
| The word "уйку" also means "nap" in Kyrgyz. | |||
| Tajik | хоб | ||
| The etymology of the Tajik word "хоб" ('sleep') is unknown, but it may be related to the Persian word "خاب" (sleep) or the Sanskrit word "स्वप्न" (dream). | |||
| Turkmen | uky | ||
| Uzbek | uxlash | ||
| The word "uxlash" shares its root with the word "uxla", which means "to be at ease, to rest". | |||
| Uyghur | ئۇخلاش | ||
Sleep in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | hiamoe | ||
| In Hawaiian, "hiamoe" also means "to become unconscious." | |||
| Maori | moe | ||
| In Māori, "moe" can also refer to slumber, drowsiness, or the state of being unconscious. | |||
| Samoan | moe | ||
| The Samoan word “moe” is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word “*moe” and is also used to refer to the act of sleeping. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | matulog | ||
| The word "matulog" can be traced back to the Proto-Austronesian word "*tuqur", meaning "to sleep."} | |||
Sleep in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | ikiña | ||
| Guarani | ke | ||
Sleep in International Languages
| Esperanto | dormi | ||
| Esperanto's "dormi" comes from Latin "dormire" and has a related noun form "dormo" meaning "bedroom." | |||
| Latin | somnum | ||
| Somnum in Latin originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *swep-, also meaning "to sleep". | |||
Sleep in Others Languages
| Greek | ύπνος | ||
| The Greek word "ύπνος" not only means "sleep" but also "the god of sleep." | |||
| Hmong | pw tsaug zog | ||
| The Hmong word "pw tsaug zog" also means "to close one's eyes". | |||
| Kurdish | xew | ||
| The Kurdish word "xew" is cognate with the Persian word "khob" and the Sanskrit word "svapna". | |||
| Turkish | uyku | ||
| The Turkish word "uyku" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word *uyku-, meaning "to fall asleep" or "to slumber". | |||
| Xhosa | lala | ||
| The word "lala" also means "to relax" or "to rest" in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | שלאָף | ||
| The Yiddish word "שלאָף" (pronounced "shlof") is derived from the Old High German "slafen". It refers not only to the state of slumber but also to the period of the day set aside for it. | |||
| Zulu | lala | ||
| In Zulu, 'lala' also means 'to go to bed' or 'to take a nap', further expanding its semantic range beyond merely 'sleeping'. | |||
| Assamese | টোপনি | ||
| Aymara | ikiña | ||
| Bhojpuri | सुतल | ||
| Dhivehi | ނިދުން | ||
| Dogri | सोना | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | matulog | ||
| Guarani | ke | ||
| Ilocano | maturog | ||
| Krio | slip | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | نووستن | ||
| Maithili | नींद | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯇꯨꯝꯕ | ||
| Mizo | mu | ||
| Oromo | rafuu | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଶୋଇବା | ||
| Quechua | puñuy | ||
| Sanskrit | शयनं करोतु | ||
| Tatar | йокы | ||
| Tigrinya | ደቅስ | ||
| Tsonga | etlela | ||