Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
睡觉 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
睡觉shuìjiàoto go to bedHSK 1, v, rank #780, Easy
睡觉shuìjiàoto sleepHSK 1, v, rank #780, Easy
shuìjiào(shui4jiao4) T4
  1. 1to go to bed
  2. 2to sleep
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
睡觉(睡覺)shuìjiào(shui4jiao4)

睡觉 (shui4 jiao4) means 'to sleep' or 'to go to bed.' It is commonly used in everyday contexts when talking about resting or sleeping, whether it's for a short nap or a full night's sleep. This verb is fundamental in conversations about daily routines and health.

Frequency#780DifficultyEasy
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of sleep is often associated with health and wellness. Many people believe that a good night's sleep is essential for maintaining balance and energy, and it's common to hear phrases emphasizing the importance of rest, especially after a long day.

Memory Tip

Imagine a cozy bed (the character 睡) with a sleeping figure (the character 觉) inside. 'Shui' sounds like 'shoo,' which is the sound you make when you're getting comfortable to sleep. Picture yourself shooing away distractions as you snuggle in for the night.

Meanings of 睡觉

shuìjiào(shui4jiao4)
1to go to bed
2to sleep
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 睡觉

睡觉Simplified
睡覺Traditional
—Strokes
—Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#780Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L1HSK 3.0L1ElementaryTOCFLL1HSKKL1CEFRA1

Podcast: 睡觉

JasonAmy

Podcast: 睡觉

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 睡觉

Quick Contrast

睡觉 (to sleep) vs 休息 (to rest) — use 睡觉 specifically when referring to sleeping, while 休息 can refer to any form of rest.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a cozy bed (the character 睡) with a sleeping figure (the character 觉) inside. 'Shui' sounds like 'shoo,' which is the sound you make when you're getting comfortable to sleep. Picture yourself shooing away distractions as you snuggle in for the night.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 睡觉 with other sleep-related terms like 睡 (to sleep) or 觉 (to wake up/realize), as they can lead to misunderstandings. This word is informal and widely used in casual conversations among friends and family. Common collocations include '睡觉时间' (sleeping time) and '睡觉前' (before going to bed).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 1 word, 睡觉 is foundational for describing daily activities. Students should focus on its pronunciation and usage in simple sentences. Connecting it with other verbs like 吃 (to eat) and 喝 (to drink) can help in forming a daily routine context.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of sleep is often associated with health and wellness. Many people believe that a good night's sleep is essential for maintaining balance and energy, and it's common to hear phrases emphasizing the importance of rest, especially after a long day.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly say '我去睡觉在十点' (I go to sleep at 10) instead of '我十点去睡觉.' The correct structure places the time before the verb phrase.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 睡觉

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 睡觉 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Component Characters

睡shuìto sleep
HSK 113 strokes目
View full entry
觉jiàoa nap
HSK 69 strokes见
View full entry

Write 睡觉

睡
觉

Practice writing 睡觉 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 睡觉

睡觉 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Related grammar lessons6
Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

我每天晚上十一点____。

I go to sleep at 11 p.m. every night.

Example Sentences for 睡觉 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
我不知道你怎样，但是我要睡觉了。

wǒ bù zhī dào nǐ zěn yàng， ， dàn shì wǒ yào shuì jué。

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for bed.
2
这件事我总是放在星期六晚上睡觉前做。

zhè jiàn shì wǒ zǒng shì fàng zài xīng qī liù wǎn shàng shuì jué qián zuò。

I always do it last thing on a Saturday.
3
他主要待在家里，帮孩子们盖好被子睡觉。

tā zhǔ yào dài zài jiā lǐ， ， bāng hái zǐ mén gài hǎo bèi zǐ shuì。

He mostly stayed at home tucking up the children.
4
我把杂志收好，准备睡觉。

wǒ bǎ zá zhì shōu hǎo， ， zhǔn bèi shuì。

I put my journal away and prepared for bed.
5
会有人给他掖好被子，让他舒舒服服地睡觉。

huì yǒu rén gěi tā yè hǎo bèi zǐ， ， ràng tā shū shū fú fú dì shuì。

He would be tucked comfortably into bed.
6
睡觉前我们玩得很好.

shuì jué qián wǒ mén wán dé hěn hǎo.

We had an okay time till we went to bed.
7
你安排孩子上床睡觉好 吗 ?

nǐ ān pái hái zǐ shàng chuáng shuì jué hǎo?

Will you see about putting the child to bed?
8
不睡觉的话，工作起来会变得反应迟钝。

bù shuì jué de huà， ， gōng zuò qǐ lái huì biàn dé fǎn yīng chí。

Without sleep you will become a zombie at work.
9
我们想尽快打发他们上床睡觉。

wǒ mén xiǎng jìn kuài dǎ fā tā mén shàng chuáng shuì jué。

We want to bundle them off to bed quickly.
10
他俩都不想回去睡觉。

tā liǎng dū bù xiǎng huí qù shuì jué。

Neither of them felt like going back to sleep.

Cultural Notes for 睡觉

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of sleep is often associated with health and wellness. Many people believe that a good night's sleep is essential for maintaining balance and energy, and it's common to hear phrases emphasizing the importance of rest, especially after a long day.

Frequently Asked Questions about 睡觉

You can say '我每天晚上十点睡觉' (I go to bed at 10 PM every night).