Sleep in Different Languages
Discover 'Sleep' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Sleep
Afrikaans slaap | ||
Albanian gjumi | ||
Amharic መተኛት | ||
Arabic ينام | ||
Armenian քնել | ||
Assamese টোপনি | ||
Aymara ikiña | ||
Azerbaijani yatmaq | ||
Bambara ka sunɔgɔ | ||
Basque lo egin | ||
Belarusian спаць | ||
Bengali ঘুম | ||
Bhojpuri सुतल | ||
Bosnian spavati | ||
Bulgarian сън | ||
Catalan dormir | ||
Cebuano tulog | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 睡觉 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 睡覺 | ||
Corsican dorme | ||
Croatian spavati | ||
Czech spát | ||
Danish søvn | ||
Dhivehi ނިދުން | ||
Dogri सोना | ||
Dutch slaap | ||
English sleep | ||
Esperanto dormi | ||
Estonian magama | ||
Ewe dᴐ alɔ̃ | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) matulog | ||
Finnish nukkua | ||
French dormir | ||
Frisian sliep | ||
Galician durmir | ||
Georgian ძილი | ||
German schlaf | ||
Greek ύπνος | ||
Guarani ke | ||
Gujarati ઊંઘ | ||
Haitian Creole dòmi | ||
Hausa barci | ||
Hawaiian hiamoe | ||
Hebrew לִישׁוֹן | ||
Hindi नींद | ||
Hmong pw tsaug zog | ||
Hungarian alvás | ||
Icelandic sofa | ||
Igbo hie ụra | ||
Ilocano maturog | ||
Indonesian tidur | ||
Irish codladh | ||
Italian dormire | ||
Japanese 睡眠 | ||
Javanese turu | ||
Kannada ನಿದ್ರೆ | ||
Kazakh ұйқы | ||
Khmer គេង | ||
Kinyarwanda gusinzira | ||
Konkani न्हीद | ||
Korean 자다 | ||
Krio slip | ||
Kurdish xew | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) نووستن | ||
Kyrgyz уйку | ||
Lao ນອນ | ||
Latin somnum | ||
Latvian gulēt | ||
Lingala mpongi | ||
Lithuanian miegoti | ||
Luganda otulo | ||
Luxembourgish schlofen | ||
Macedonian спиење | ||
Maithili नींद | ||
Malagasy torimaso | ||
Malay tidur | ||
Malayalam ഉറക്കം | ||
Maltese irqad | ||
Maori moe | ||
Marathi झोप | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯇꯨꯝꯕ | ||
Mizo mu | ||
Mongolian унтах | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) အိပ်ပါ | ||
Nepali सुत्नु | ||
Norwegian sove | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) tulo | ||
Odia (Oriya) ଶୋଇବା | ||
Oromo rafuu | ||
Pashto خوب | ||
Persian خواب | ||
Polish spać | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) dormir | ||
Punjabi ਨੀਂਦ | ||
Quechua puñuy | ||
Romanian dormi | ||
Russian спать | ||
Samoan moe | ||
Sanskrit शयनं करोतु | ||
Scots Gaelic cadal | ||
Sepedi robala | ||
Serbian спавати | ||
Sesotho robala | ||
Shona rara | ||
Sindhi سمهڻ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) නින්ද | ||
Slovak spať | ||
Slovenian spanje | ||
Somali seexo | ||
Spanish dormir | ||
Sundanese bobo | ||
Swahili lala | ||
Swedish sömn | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) matulog | ||
Tajik хоб | ||
Tamil தூங்கு | ||
Tatar йокы | ||
Telugu నిద్ర | ||
Thai นอน | ||
Tigrinya ደቅስ | ||
Tsonga etlela | ||
Turkish uyku | ||
Turkmen uky | ||
Twi (Akan) da | ||
Ukrainian спати | ||
Urdu نیند | ||
Uyghur ئۇخلاش | ||
Uzbek uxlash | ||
Vietnamese ngủ | ||
Welsh cysgu | ||
Xhosa lala | ||
Yiddish שלאָף | ||
Yoruba sun | ||
Zulu lala |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | The word "slaap" in Afrikaans also means "temple" or "forehead". |
| Albanian | The Albanian word "gjumi" is thought to share a common origin with the Proto-Indo-European root "*gʰewm-," meaning "to lie down or sleep." |
| Amharic | The word መተኛት may also refer to the setting of the Sun. |
| Arabic | The Arabic root "نام" of the verb "ينام" also means "to die", suggesting the close association between sleep and death in Arabic culture. |
| Armenian | "Քնել" can also mean "to dream" or "to die" in Armenian. |
| Azerbaijani | The word "yatmaq" in Azerbaijani can also mean "to lie down" or "to go to bed" |
| Basque | In the expression “egin”, the root “egi” means to do or to make, while the suffix “n” indicates that the action is completed. |
| Belarusian | The word "спаць" in Belarusian is related to the Old Prussian word "supan" which means "to rest" or "to lie down". |
| Bengali | "ঘুম" (sleep) can also mean "nap" or "drowsiness" in Bengali. |
| Bosnian | "Spavati" shares its root with the Russian word "spat" (спать), meaning "to sleep". |
| Bulgarian | Bulgarian "сън" is derived from PIE root *swep-, meaning to sleep or dream, and is related to English "sopor" meaning sleepiness or coma. |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "dormir" derives from the Latin "dormire" and also means "to numb" or "to make insensitive". |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "tulog" shares the same Proto-Austronesian root *tuduk or *tunduk with the Malay "tidur" and the Indonesian "tidur". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 睡觉 can also refer to "going to bed" or "falling asleep"} |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 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'. |
| Corsican | The word "dorme" in Corsican derives from the Latin "dormire" and also means "dormant". |
| Croatian | In Croatian, 'spavati' can also refer to a deep sleep, a state of unconsciousness, or passing away. |
| Czech | The Czech word "spát" is a homonym for "to weave", with both words originating from the Proto-Slavic root *sъpati. |
| Danish | The word "søvn" originally derives from the Old Norse and Proto-Germanic ""swepnaz"", meaning "weak, feeble" or "loss of conciousness". |
| Dutch | Slaap (sleep) is cognate with the English word 'slip' and originally referred to 'sliding off' or 'slacking' into sleep. |
| Esperanto | Esperanto's "dormi" comes from Latin "dormire" and has a related noun form "dormo" meaning "bedroom." |
| Estonian | "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" is a loanword from a Germanic language, and its cognates include "nicker" and "nightmare" in English, "nick" in German, and "niksen" in Dutch. |
| French | The word "dormir" may also refer to a state of hibernation or numbness in French. |
| Frisian | Sliep in Frisian can also mean 'rest', or a nap, or a break. |
| Galician | "Durmir" (sleep) in Galician comes from the Latin verb "dormire", which also means "to numb" or "to make dull". |
| Georgian | The word "ძილი" in Georgian can also mean "laziness" or "lethargy". |
| German | The German word "Schlaf" has a Slavic origin and is related to the Russian word "spat'" (спать) meaning "to sleep." |
| Greek | The Greek word "ύπνος" not only means "sleep" but also "the god of sleep." |
| Gujarati | "ઊંઘ" in Gujarati can also mean to close the upper or lower eyelid(s). |
| Haitian Creole | "Dòmi" is likely derived from the French "dormir" or the Spanish "dormir". |
| Hausa | "Barci" can also mean "to die" in Hausa. |
| Hawaiian | In Hawaiian, "hiamoe" also means "to become unconscious." |
| Hebrew | לִישׁוֹן means both "to sleep" and "to speak" in Hebrew, a rare example of a word with two completely unrelated meanings |
| Hindi | The Hindi word 'नींद' also means an 'intoxicant beverage'. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word "pw tsaug zog" also means "to close one's eyes". |
| Hungarian | The Hungarian word "alvás" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *swep-, meaning "to sleep" or "to rest." |
| Icelandic | In Icelandic, "sofa" also refers to a "sheep pen". |
| Igbo | "Hie" is an imperative word used to ask someone to sleep, while "ụra" is the state of sleeping. |
| Indonesian | The word "tidur" is also used to describe a state of unconsciousness caused by illness or fatigue. |
| Irish | The Irish word "codladh" derives from the Old Irish "cotlud" meaning "slumber," and can also refer to a "nap" or "doze." |
| Italian | The Latin verb "dormire" is also the origin of "dormitory" and "dormant." |
| Japanese | In Japanese, "睡眠" also means "a state of oblivion or unconsciousness caused by anesthesia or drugs." |
| Javanese | The word "turu" has other meanings, including "to take a break" and "to hibernate". |
| Kazakh | The word "ұйқы" also means "rest" or "slumber" in Kazakh. |
| Khmer | គេង (keang) in Khmer can also refer to a nap or a state of unconsciousness. |
| Korean | 자다 (jada) can also refer to the act of resting, lying down, or being inactive, not necessarily sleep. |
| Kurdish | The Kurdish word "xew" is cognate with the Persian word "khob" and the Sanskrit word "svapna". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "уйку" also means "nap" in Kyrgyz. |
| Lao | 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') |
| Latin | Somnum in Latin originates from the Proto-Indo-European root *swep-, also meaning "to sleep". |
| Latvian | The word “Gulēt” in Latvian, meaning "to sleep," also has an archaic meaning referring to a state of trance or unconsciousness. |
| Lithuanian | The word "miegoti" also means "to live in a place" or "to stay somewhere for a long time" in Lithuanian. |
| Luxembourgish | The word "schlofen" in Luxembourgish is derived from the Old High German word "slafan", which also means "to sleep". |
| Macedonian | Спиење (spieње, sleep) additionally means 'the state of being asleep' in Macedonian. |
| Malagasy | The Malagasy word "torimaso" also means "to lose consciousness". |
| Malay | "Tidur" also means "to lie down" or "to rest" in Malay. |
| Malayalam | In Malayalam, "ഉറക്കം" can also refer to a temporary or short nap, as well as a state of drowsiness or inactivity. |
| Maltese | "Irqad" is also used to describe a period of hibernation, or the state of being dormant. |
| Maori | In Māori, "moe" can also refer to slumber, drowsiness, or the state of being unconscious. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "झोप" also means "dream" and "a nap". |
| Mongolian | Mongolian "унтах" (sleep) means "to fall into sleep" and is related to the word "унт” (a dream). |
| Nepali | The Nepali word "सुत्नु" can also refer to the act of reclining, resting, or ceasing activity. |
| Norwegian | The word "sove" in Norwegian is also used to refer to a place where animals stay, particularly a pigsty. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The word "tulo" can also mean "bed" in Nyanja (Chichewa). |
| Pashto | The Pashto word "خوب" also means "peace" and "comfort". |
| Persian | In Old Persian, the word "خواب" also meant "dream" or "vision". It shares its roots with the Sanskrit word "svap". |
| Polish | "Spać" comes from the Proto-Slavic "*spěti", which also meant "to be inactive, to rest". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In modern Portuguese, dormir is used for all meanings of "sleep", except for the "sleeping with someone" sense which instead uses the archaic deitar. |
| Punjabi | The word "ਨੀਂਦ" can also refer to a trance-like state or a state of unconsciousness. |
| Romanian | Dormi is also an informal and poetic way to refer to the place where someone sleeps, similar to "bed" or "nest". |
| Russian | In Russian, the word "спать" can also mean "to be dormant" or "to be inactive". |
| Samoan | The Samoan word “moe” is derived from the Proto-Polynesian word “*moe” and is also used to refer to the act of sleeping. |
| Scots Gaelic | 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. |
| Serbian | In Serbian, the verb "spavati" ("to sleep") shares its root with "spokoj" ("peace") and "spokojan" ("calm"). |
| Sesotho | The word "robala" can be traced back to the Proto-Bantu word "-lal" and is also related to the Zulu word "ukalala". |
| Shona | 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. |
| Sindhi | The word "سمهڻ" also means "to rest" or "to relax" in Sindhi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | The Sinhala word "නින්ද" is derived from the Sanskrit word "निद्रा" (nidrā), which also means "sleep". |
| Slovak | The word "spať" is derived from the Proto-Slavic verb *spati, which also meant "to rest" or "to lie down". |
| Slovenian | The related verb "spaniti" can mean "to tie" or "to imprison". |
| Somali | "Seexo" can also mean "to be at peace" or "to be content" in Somali. |
| Spanish | The verb "dormir" shares an etymological origin with "dormitory" because of the concept of sleeping in a dormitory. |
| Sundanese | The word "bobo" in Sundanese also means "to rest" or "to relax". |
| Swahili | The Swahili word "lala" is derived from the Proto-Bantu word "*lala/*laal" meaning "to lie down" or "to recline". |
| Swedish | Ordet sömn, som kommer från fornvästnordiskan, kan även hänvisa till ett sömnpiller. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "matulog" can be traced back to the Proto-Austronesian word "*tuqur", meaning "to sleep."} |
| Tajik | 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). |
| Tamil | The term 'தூங்கு' may also refer to becoming intoxicated from alcohol consumption |
| Telugu | Telugu word 'నిద్ర' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'निद्रा' (nidra), and also means 'slumber', 'hibernation', 'coma'. |
| Thai | The word "นอน" (sleep) also means "to stay" or "to be still" in Thai. |
| Turkish | The Turkish word "uyku" is derived from the Proto-Turkic word *uyku-, meaning "to fall asleep" or "to slumber". |
| Ukrainian | The word "спати" in Ukrainian is derived from Proto-Slavic "*spati", and is cognate with English "sleep" and French "sommeil". |
| Urdu | The word "نیند" can also refer to "drowsiness" or "a state of unconsciousness" |
| Uzbek | The word "uxlash" shares its root with the word "uxla", which means "to be at ease, to rest". |
| Vietnamese | Vietnamese 'ngủ' originally meant 'to lie down' or 'to rest' and can also refer to death in some contexts. |
| Welsh | The Welsh word "cysgu" is derived from the Proto-Celtic root "*kasg-," meaning "to cover, hide, or conceal". |
| Xhosa | The word "lala" also means "to relax" or "to rest" in Xhosa. |
| Yiddish | 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. |
| Yoruba | The Yoruba word 'sun' has an alternate meaning of 'relax' or 'rest', capturing the sense of tranquility associated with both sleep and relaxation. |
| Zulu | In Zulu, 'lala' also means 'to go to bed' or 'to take a nap', further expanding its semantic range beyond merely 'sleeping'. |
| English | The word 'sleep' comes from the Old English word 'slæp', which can also mean 'a blow' or 'a killing'. |