Japanese symbol for “sleeping”
眠り
ねむり
Romaji: nemuri
sleep; sleeping
In Japanese, sleeping is 眠り, read ねむり (nemuri).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n sleep; sleeping
- n inactivity
- n death
Written forms: 眠り、睡り、睡. Readings: ねむり、ねぶり.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “sleeping”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 眠れる | ねむれる nemureru | sleeping; asleep; resting |
| ねんね | ねんね nenne | going bye-byes; going beddy-byes; sleeping |
| お眠 | おねむ onemu | sleeping; feeling sleepy; beddy-bye |
| 就眠 | しゅうみん shuumin | going to sleep; falling asleep; sleeping |
| 開枕 | かいちん kaichin | bringing out the pillows and futon (in Zen Buddhism); sleeping |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 睡眠 | すいみん suimin | sleep |
| 眠い | ねむい nemui | sleepy; drowsy; somnolent |
| 居眠り | いねむり inemuri | nodding off (while sitting); dozing |
| 眠る | ねむる nemuru | to sleep |
| 眠気 | ねむけ nemuke | sleepiness; drowsiness |
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.