寝る

Usage

寝る is a two-mora ichidan verb: polite 寝ます, て-form 寝て, past 寝た, negative 寝ない, volitional 寝よう. Intransitive; the sleeper is the subject.

It covers going to bed (十一時に寝る), sleeping (八時間寝る) and lying down (ソファで寝る). Clock time takes に; a duration takes no particle; the place takes で. 寝ている is the state ‘is asleep / is lying down’. For sleep as a physical state, Japanese also has 眠る (ねむる, godan), and ‘sleepy’ is the adjective 眠い.

Examples

• 昨日は十一時に寝ました。（きのう は じゅういちじ に ねました）— I went to bed at eleven yesterday.
• もう寝る時間ですよ。（もう ねる じかん です よ）— It’s already time for bed.
• 週末はよく寝ます。（しゅうまつ は よく ねます）— I sleep a lot on weekends.
• 猫がソファで寝ています。（ねこ が ソファ で ねて います）— The cat is sleeping on the sofa.

Traps for Spanish, English and French speakers

• 寝る is both ‘acostarse / se coucher’ (go to bed) and ‘dormir’: 十時に寝ます is ‘I go to bed at ten’. Spanish and French speakers look for two verbs; Japanese only separates the physical state (眠る) and the adjective 眠い for ‘tengo sueño / j’ai sommeil’, which is never 寝たい unless you mean ‘I want to go to bed’.
• Not every -eru verb is ichidan: 寝る is ichidan (寝ます・寝て・寝ない), but 帰る・入る・知る・要る are godan (帰ります・帰って・帰らない). Mixing them gives 寝ります or 帰ます.
• Duration takes no particle. ‘Duermo ocho horas’ and ‘je dors pendant huit heures’ tempt 八時間に寝ます; say 八時間寝ます. Only clock time gets に: 十一時に寝ました.