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眠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
眠miánto sleepvg, 10 strokes, radical 目, rank #8630, Hard
眠miánto hibernatevg, 10 strokes, radical 目, rank #8630, Hard
眠miánsleep, shut-eye, hibernatationvg, 10 strokes, radical 目, rank #8630, Hard
mián(mian2) T2
  1. 1to sleep
  2. 2to hibernate
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March 24, 2026
眠mián(mian2)

眠 (mián) means 'to sleep' or 'to hibernate.' It is commonly used to describe the act of sleeping, particularly in contexts that convey a sense of deep rest or hibernation, such as animals during winter. This character is often associated with peacefulness and is used in both formal and informal settings.

Strokes10Radical目Frequency#8630DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of sleep is often linked with the idea of maintaining balance and harmony in life. Traditional practices, such as TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), emphasize the importance of good sleep for health and well-being.

Memory Tip

Imagine a cozy bed with a fluffy blanket that looks like a cloud (the radical '氵' suggests water, which can symbolize relaxation). Picture a bear hibernating in a cave, snuggled in for a long sleep. This imagery links the character 眠 (mián) to its meaning of deep sleep.

Meanings of 眠

mián(mian2)
1to sleep
2to hibernate
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 眠

眠Simplified
10Strokes
目Radical
动语素dòngcíverb root (v.root)Part of Speech
#8630Frequency Rank

Podcast: 眠

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Podcast: 眠

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AI Study Notes for 眠

Quick Contrast

安睡 (ān shuì) vs 眠 (mián): use 眠 when emphasizing deep rest or hibernation, while 安睡 focuses on peaceful or sound sleep.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a cozy bed with a fluffy blanket that looks like a cloud (the radical '氵' suggests water, which can symbolize relaxation). Picture a bear hibernating in a cave, snuggled in for a long sleep. This imagery links the character 眠 (mián) to its meaning of deep sleep.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 眠 with related characters like 睡 (shuì), which is more commonly used in everyday conversation. While 眠 can be used in both formal and literary contexts, 睡 is more informal. A common collocation is '安眠' (ān mián), meaning 'peaceful sleep.'

HSK Study Tips

Although 眠 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it connects to other sleep-related words like 睡觉 (shuì jiào) and 安静 (ān jìng). Students should focus on recognizing the character in context and its usage with other sleep-related vocabulary.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, the concept of sleep is often linked with the idea of maintaining balance and harmony in life. Traditional practices, such as TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), emphasize the importance of good sleep for health and well-being.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 眠 with 睡, leading to incorrect phrases like '我喜欢眠' instead of '我喜欢睡.' Always use 睡 in casual conversation.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 眠

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Etymology of 眠

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 目 represents the meaning and 民 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

eye

Semantic (meaning)目
+
Phonetic (sound)民
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 眠?

Decomposition of 眠

IDS Structure⿰目民
眠Full Character
=
目mu4
left
民Min2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 眠?

Write 眠

眠

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

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Grammar Patterns of 眠

眠 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 3 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 lessons2
Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

你可得注意身体呀，天天睡____不足可不行！

You really must pay attention to your health — being sleep-deprived every day is absolutely not okay!

Usage Notes for 眠

Misuse of 眠 in expressionsCommon Error

Some learners may confuse 眠 with other sleep-related verbs like 睡 (shuì). 眠 is often used in more formal or literary contexts.

1

他在冬天进入了冬眠。

He hibernates in winter.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

他在冬天进入了冬____。

He hibernates in winter.

Example Sentences for 眠 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
“我会找催眠师试试，”我突然坚决地说。

“ “ wǒ huì zhǎo cuī mián shī shì，” shì ，” wǒ tū rán jiān jué。

"I think I'll try a hypnotist," I said with sudden resolution.
2
催眠疗法可能有助于你戒烟。

cuī mián liáo fǎ kě néng yǒu zhù yú nǐ jiè yān。

Hypnotherapy can be useful in helping you give up smoking.
3
频繁服用安眠药绝对不是好办法。

pín fán fú yòng ān mián yào jué duì bù shì hǎo bàn fǎ。

It is never a good idea to take sleeping tablets regularly.
4
她只有在催眠状态下才能记起那次事故的细节。

tā zhī yǒu zài cuī mián zhuàng tài xià cái néng jì qǐ nà cì shì gù de xì jié。

She only remembered details of the accident under hypnosis .
5
深夜喝浓咖啡或浓茶可能会导致失眠。

shēn yè hē nóng kā fēi huò nóng chá kě néng huì dǎo zhì shī mián。

Strong coffee or tea late at night may cause sleeplessness.
6
一位催眠治疗师将对你实施催眠，从而帮你戒烟。

yī wèi cuī mián zhì liáo shī jiāng duì nǐ shí shī cuī mián， ， cóng ér bāng nǐ jiè。

A hypnotherapist will hypnotize you and will stop you from smoking.
7
他在一位警方催眠师的引导下进入了催眠状态。

tā zài yī wèi jǐng fāng cuī mián shī de yǐn dǎo xià jìn rù le cuī mián zhuàng tài。

He was put into a trance by a police hypnotist.
8
进入睡眠状态时，我们的脑电波振幅慢慢变大。

jìn rù shuì mián zhuàng tài shí， ， wǒ mén de nǎo diàn bō zhèn fú màn màn biàn。

As we fall asleep the amplitude of brain waves slowly becomes greater.
9
我决定先让他进入催眠状态,然后再问他一次.

wǒ jué dìng xiān ràng tā jìn rù cuī mián zhuàng tài, , rán hòu zài wèn tā yī.

I decided to put him under hypnosis and ask him again.
10
碑文写着：马格勒斯之子卡廷长眠于此。

bēi wén xiě zháo： ： mǎ gé lè sī zhī zǐ kǎ tíng cháng mián yú。

The inscription reads: Here lies Catin, the son of Magarus.

Cultural Notes for 眠

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, the concept of sleep is often linked with the idea of maintaining balance and harmony in life. Traditional practices, such as TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), emphasize the importance of good sleep for health and well-being.

Word Family of 眠

Words Containing This Character20
睡眠shuìmiánsleep
失眠shīmiánto suffer from insomnia
催眠cuīmiánhypnosis
眠miánto sleep
安眠药ānmiányàosleeping pill安眠藥
冬眠hibernation
入眠to fall asleep
长眠eternal rest (i.e. death)長眠
休眠xiūmiáninactive (volcano)
安眠to sleep peacefully
催眠术hypnotism催眠術
彻夜不眠to be sleepless all night徹夜不眠
催眠曲lullaby
催眠药soporific drug催眠藥
不眠不休without stopping to sleep or have a rest (idiom)
夜不成眠to be unable to sleep at night
酣眠fast asleep
睡眠者sleeper
休眠火山dormant volcano
永眠eternal rest (i.e. death)
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 睡眠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 眠

You can say '我想要好好眠' (Wǒ xiǎng yào hǎo hǎo mián) which translates to 'I want to sleep well.'