眠

See also: 眼

眠 U+7720, 眠 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7720 ← 真 [U+771F] CJK Unified Ideographs 眡 → [U+7721]

Translingual

Han character

眠 (Kangxi radical 109, 目+5, 10 strokes, cangjie input 月山口女心 (BURVP), four-corner 6704₇, composition ⿰目民)

Derived characters

• 𪦓, 𬧆, 𥋹, 𭿱, 𥉦, 𮐊, 𥌱

References

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 805, character 4
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 23240
• Dae Jaweon: page 1221, character 4
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2483, character 3
• Unihan data for U+7720

Chinese

simp. and trad.		眠
alternative forms		瞑 𥉦

Glyph origin

Characters in the same phonetic series (民) (Zhengzhang, 2003) 

	Old Chinese
眠	*miːn
民	*min
泯	*min, *minʔ
怋	*min, *mɯːn
岷	*mrin
珉	*mrin
罠	*mrin
笢	*mrin, *minʔ
鈱	*mrin
抿	*mrɯn, *mrɯn, *mrɯnʔ
刡	*minʔ
敃	*mrinʔ
愍	*mrinʔ
暋	*mrinʔ
蟁	*mɯn

Phono-semantic compound (形聲 / 形声, OC *miːn): semantic 目 (“eye”) + phonetic 民 (OC *min) – close your eyes and go to sleep.

Pronunciation 1

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): mián (mian²)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄢˊ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): min⁴

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): men³

• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): mìn

  (Meixian, Guangdong): min²

• Northern Min (KCR): mêng
• Eastern Min (BUC): mìng / mièng
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): bîn / biân

  (Teochew, Peng'im): ming⁵ / mêng⁵ / mung⁵

• Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): ⁶mi

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: mián
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄢˊ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: mián
    • Wade–Giles: mien²
    • Yale: myán
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mian
    • Palladius: мянь (mjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi̯ɛn³⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
    • Jyutping: min⁴
    • Yale: mìhn
    • Cantonese Pinyin: min⁴
    • Guangdong Romanization: min⁴
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miːn²¹/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: men³
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ᵐben²²/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: mìn
    • Hakka Romanization System: min^ˇ
    • Hagfa Pinyim: min²
    • Sinological IPA: /min¹¹/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: min²
    • Sinological IPA: /min¹¹/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: mêng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /meiŋ³³/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: mìng / mièng
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miŋ⁵³/, /mieŋ⁵³/

Note:

• mìng - vernacular;
• mièng - literary.

• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: bîn / biân
    • Tâi-lô: bîn / biân
    • Phofsit Daibuun: biin, bieen
    • IPA (Xiamen): /bin²⁴/, /biɛn²⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /bin²⁴/, /biɛn²⁴/
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /bin¹³/, /biɛn¹³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /bin²⁴/, /biɛn²⁴/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /bin²³/, /biɛn²³/

Note:

• bîn - vernacular;
• biân - literary.

• (Teochew)
  • Peng'im: ming⁵ / mêng⁵ / mung⁵
  • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: mîng / mêng / mûng
  • Sinological IPA ^(key): /miŋ⁵⁵/, /meŋ⁵⁵/, /muŋ⁵⁵/

Note:

• ming5 - literary (Chaozhou);
• mêng5 - literary (Jieyang);
• mung5 - vernacular.

• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶mi
    • MiniDict: mi^去
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³mi
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /mi²³/

---

• Middle Chinese: men

Rime
Character	眠
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	明 (4)
Final (韻)	先 (85)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	IV
Fanqie	莫賢切
Baxter	men
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/men/
Pan Wuyun	/men/
Shao Rongfen	/mɛn/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/mɛn/
Li Rong	/men/
Wang Li	/mien/
Bernhard Karlgren	/mien/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	mián
Expected Cantonese Reflex	min4

• Old Chinese

  (Baxter–Sagart): /*mˤi[n]/

  (Zhengzhang): /*miːn/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	眠
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	mián
Middle Chinese	‹ men ›
Old Chinese	/*mˁi[n]/
English	shut the eyes; sleep
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	眠
Reading #	1/1
No.	9129
Phonetic component	民
Rime group	眞
Rime subdivision	1
Corresponding MC rime	眠
Old Chinese	/*miːn/

Definitions

眠

1. to sleep

   橫掂仲有兩個鐘先上得機，再眠陣添都唔怕。 [Cantonese, trad.]
   横掂仲有两个钟先上得机，再眠阵添都唔怕。 [Cantonese, simp.]

   waang⁴ dim⁶ zung⁶ jau⁵ loeng⁵ go³ zung¹ sin¹ soeng⁵ dak¹ gei¹, zoi³ min⁴ zan⁶ tim¹ dou¹ m⁴ paa³. [Jyutping]

   Since there is still two hours before boarding anyway, there's no worry in napping a little more.

2. to hibernate
3. (archaic) to feign death
4. (archaic or Hakka, Siyi Yue) to lie down

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 睡覺 (“to sleep”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		臥, 寐, 寢, 眠, 睡, 就寢, 寢息
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		睡覺, 睡眠, 就寢
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	睡覺, 睡, 歇覺
	Taiwan	睡覺, 睡
	Ulanhot	睡覺
	Tongliao	睡覺
	Chifeng	睡覺
	Hulunbuir (Hailar)	睡覺
	Malaysia	睡覺, 睡
	Singapore	睡覺, 睡
	Olginsky (Mikhaylovka)	睡覺
Jilu Mandarin	Weifang (Weicheng)	睏覺
	Weifang (Fangzi)	睏覺
	Changle	睏覺
	Shouguang	睏覺
	Wulian	睏覺
	Jinan	睡覺
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	睡覺, 睡
	Weifang (Hanting)	睏覺
	Changyi	睏覺
	Gaomi	睏覺
	Zhucheng	睏覺
	Anqiu	睏覺
	Linqu	睏覺
	Qingzhou	睏覺
Central Plains Mandarin	Wanrong	睡
	Xi'an	睡覺, 睡
	Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan)	睡
Lanyin Mandarin	Bayanhot	睡覺
	Ürümqi	呼啷
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	睡瞌睡
	Wuhan	睡瞌睡, 睡
	Guiyang	睡瞌睡
	Guilin	睡覺
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	睡覺, 睡
	Yangzhou	睡覺, 上蘇州 slang
	Nantong	睏
	Hefei	睡覺
Cantonese	Guangzhou	瞓覺, 瞓, 見周公 humorous, 搵周公 humorous, 覺覺豬 childish, 瞓記
	Hong Kong	瞓覺, 瞓, 搵周公 humorous, 覺覺豬 childish, 瞓覺覺 childish, 豬豬 childish
	Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou)	瞓覺
	Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou)	瞓覺
	Hong Kong (Ting Kok)	睡目
	Hong Kong (Tung Ping Chau)	瞓覺
	Macau	瞓覺
	Guangzhou (Panyu)	瞓覺
	Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu)	瞓
	Guangzhou (Conghua)	瞓覺
	Guangzhou (Zengcheng)	瞓, 睡
	Foshan	瞓覺
	Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai)	瞓覺
	Foshan (Shunde)	瞓覺
	Foshan (Sanshui)	瞓覺
	Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming)	瞓覺
	Zhongshan (Shiqi)	瞇覺
	Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou)	瞓覺
	Zhuhai (Doumen)	瞓覺
	Jiangmen (Baisha)	瞓覺
	Jiangmen (Xinhui)	瞓覺
	Taishan	瞓覺, 瞓
	Kaiping (Chikan)	瞓覺
	Enping (Niujiang)	瞓覺
	Heshan (Yayao)	瞓覺
	Dongguan	瞓覺
	Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an)	瞓覺
	Shenzhen (Dapeng)	瞓覺
	Yangjiang	瞓覺, 瞓
	Zhanjiang	瞓覺, 曬鋪
	Nanning	睡覺
	Hepu (Lianzhou)	睡覺
	Hepu (Shatian)	睡覺, 瞓覺
	Beihai	睡覺
	Beihai (Nankang)	睡覺
	Beihai (Yingpan)	睡覺
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô)	睡覺
	Beihai (Qiaogang - Cát Bà)	瞓覺
	Fangchenggang (Fangcheng)	睡覺
	Danzhou	閉眼
	Sanya (Yanglan; Maihua)	閉眼
	Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu)	瞓覺
	Singapore (Guangfu)	瞓覺, 瞓
	Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu)	瞓覺
	Móng Cái	睡覺
Gan	Nanchang	睏覺, 睏
	Lichuan	睏覺, 睏
	Pingxiang	睏覺, 睏
Hakka	Meixian	睡目, 睡
	Xingning	睡目
	Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Huizhou (Shuikou; Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Huizhou (Hengli; Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Huiyang	睡目, 睡
	Huidong (Pingshan; Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Huidong (Daling)	睡目
	Dongguan (Qingxi)	睡目, 睡覺
	Longmen (Pingling; Bendihua)	睡目
	Longmen (Luxi; Bendihua)	瞓
	Boluo (Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Shenzhen (Shatoujiao)	睡目
	Zhongshan (Wuguishan)	睡目
	Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui)	睡目
	Wuhua (Shuizhai)	睡目
	Wuhua (Changbu)	睡目
	Wuhua (Mianyang)	睡目
	Heyuan (Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Zijin (Guzhu; Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Longchuan (Tuocheng; Bendihua)	瞓, 瞓覺
	Longchuan (Sidu; Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Heping (Linzhai; Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Lianping (Zhongxin; Bendihua)	瞓覺
	Lianping (Longjie; Bendihua)	睡覺
	Shaoguan (Qujiang)	睡覺
	Xinfeng (Matou; Bendihua)	睡
	Xinfeng (Daxi; Bendihua)	睡覺
	Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang)	睡眼
	Liannan	睡目
	Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua)	睡眼
	Jiexi	睡目
	Changting	睡目
	Wuping	睡目
	Wuping (Pingyu)	睡目
	Liancheng	睡目
	Ninghua	歇
	Yudu	歇眼, 打席
	Ruijin	歇眼
	Shicheng	歇, 睡
	Shangyou (Shexi)	歇覺
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	睡目
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	睡目
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	睡目
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	睡目, 睡
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	睡目, 睡
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	睡目, 睡
	Hong Kong	睡目
	Luchuan	睡覺
	Sabah (Longchuan)	睡目
	Senai (Huiyang)	睡目
	Kuching (Hepo)	睡目
	Singkawang	睡目
	Singapore (Dabu)	睡目
	Bangkok (Meixian)	睡目
Huizhou	Jixi	睏覺, 睏
	Shexian	睡
	Huangshan (Tunxi)	睏
	Xiuning	睏
	Yixian	睏
	Qimen	睏
	Wuyuan	睏
Jin	Taiyuan	睡覺, 睡
	Taibus (Baochang)	睡覺
	Linhe	睡覺
	Jining	睡覺
	Baotou	睡覺
	Dongsheng	睡覺
	Haibowan	睡覺
Northern Min	Jian'ou	目䁒
	Jian'ou (Dikou)	目䁒
	Songxi	目䁒
	Zhenghe	目䁒
	Zhenghe (Zhenqian)	眠䁒
	Jianyang	目䁒
	Wuyishan	目䁒
	Pucheng (Shibei)	瞌眠
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	睏, 睏眠
	Fuzhou (Changle)	睏
	Fuqing	睏
	Yongtai	睏
	Gutian	睏
	Fu'an	睏
	Ningde	睏
	Shouning	睏
	Zhouning	睏
	Fuding	睏
	Matsu	睏
	Sitiawan (Gutian)	睏眠
Southern Min	Xiamen	睏
	Xiamen (Tong'an)	睏
	Quanzhou	睏
	Shishi	睏
	Anxi	睏
	Zhangzhou	睏
	Pinghe	睏
	Zhao'an	睏
	Dongshan	睏
	Taipei	睏
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	睏
	Kaohsiung	睏
	Yilan	睏
	Changhua (Lukang)	睏
	Taichung	睏
	Taichung (Wuqi)	睏
	Tainan	睏
	Taitung	睏
	Hsinchu	睏
	Kinmen	睏
	Penghu (Magong)	睏
	Penang (Hokkien)	睏
	Singapore (Hokkien)	睏
	Manila (Hokkien)	睏
	Medan (Hokkien)	睏
	Zhangping	睏
	Datian	睏
	Pingnan (Shangdu)	睏覺
	Chaozhou	夗
	Shantou	夗
	Shantou (Chenghai)	夗
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	夗
	Nan'ao (Houzhai)	夗
	Nan'ao (Yun'ao)	睏
	Jieyang	夗, 死瞌
	Puning	夗
	Haifeng	睏, 夗
	Bangkok (Teochew)	夗
	Johor Bahru (Teochew)	夗
	Singapore (Teochew)	夗
	Leizhou	瞌, 瞌覺, 睏, 歇
	Wenchang	瞌, 偃瞌
	Haikou	瞌, 偃瞌
	Qionghai	瞌, 偃瞌
	Singapore (Hainanese)	瞌
Puxian Min	Putian	睏
	Xianyou	睏
Central Min	Yong'an	倒眠
Zhongshan Min	Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi)	瞇
	Zhongshan (Sanxiang)	瞇, 瞇覺
Shehua	Fu'an	眠
	Fuding	眠
	Luoyuan	眠
	Shunchang	眠
	Cangnan	眠
	Jingning (Hexi)	眠
Wu	Shanghai	睏覺, 睏, 到蘇州去 slang
	Shanghai (Chongming)	睏
	Suzhou	睏覺, 睏, 到崑山去 slang
	Wuxi	睏覺
	Danyang	睏覺, 睏
	Hangzhou	睏覺, 睏, 到蘇州去 slang
	Hangzhou (Yuhang)	睏覺, 睏
	Ningbo	睏覺, 睏
	Wenzhou	睏
	Jinhua	睏褥, 睏
Xiang	Changsha	睏覺, 睏, 睡覺
	Loudi	睏覺, 睏
	Shuangfeng	睏眼閉, 睏覺
	Quanzhou	睡覺

Dialectal synonyms of 躺 (“to lie; to recline”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Classical Chinese		寢, 臥
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		躺, 臥, 躺臥
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	躺, 歪
	Taiwan	躺
	Singapore	躺
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	躺
Central Plains Mandarin	Xi'an	睡, 躺
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	躺, 睡
	Wuhan	睡
	Guilin	躺
Jianghuai Mandarin	Yangzhou	躺, 睡
	Hefei	睡, 躺
Cantonese	Guangzhou	瞓
	Hong Kong	瞓
	Taishan	眠
	Kaiping (Chikan)	眠
	Yangjiang	睡
	Singapore (Guangfu)	瞓
Gan	Nanchang	睏
Hakka	Meixian	眠, 抗
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	睡
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	眠
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	睡
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	睡
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	睡
Jin	Taiyuan	躺, 睡
Northern Min	Jian'ou	倒
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	倒
Southern Min	Xiamen	倒
	Quanzhou	倒
	Zhangzhou	倒
	Penang (Hokkien)	倒
	Singapore (Hokkien)	倒
	Chaozhou	倒
	Shantou	夗
	Jieyang	夗
Wu	Suzhou	睏
	Wenzhou	翻, 倒
Xiang	Changsha	睏
	Shuangfeng	睏

Compounds

• 一夜無眠 / 一夜无眠
• 三眠
• 不眠不休 (bùmiánbùxiū)
• 人工冬眠
• 休眠 (xiūmián)
• 休眠期
• 休眠火山 (xiūmián huǒshān)
• 停眠整宿
• 催眠 (cuīmián)
• 催眠劑 / 催眠剂 (cuīmiánjì)
• 催眠曲 (cuīmiánqǔ)
• 催眠術 / 催眠术 (cuīmiánshù)
• 冬眠 (dōngmián)
• 初眠
• 夏眠 (xiàmián)
• 失眠 (shīmián)
• 孤眠
• 孤眠獨宿 / 孤眠独宿
• 安眠 (ānmián)
• 安眠藥 / 安眠药 (ānmiányào)
• 成眠 (chéngmián)
• 我醉欲眠
• 抱虎而眠
• 抵足而眠
• 永眠 (yǒngmián)
• 沉眠 (chénmián)
• 牛眠地
• 眠川
• 眠床 (miánchuáng)
• 眠思夢想 / 眠思梦想
• 眠琴綠陰 / 眠琴绿阴
• 眩眠
• 眠花宿柳
• 眠花臥柳 / 眠花卧柳
• 眠花醉柳
• 眠輿 / 眠舆
• 眠雲 / 眠云
• 眠霜臥雪 / 眠霜卧雪
• 眠鷗宿鷺 / 眠鸥宿鹭
• 睏眠 / 困眠
• 睡眠 (shuìmián)
• 睡眠療法 / 睡眠疗法
• 立盹行眠
• 臥月眠霜 / 卧月眠霜
• 臥雪眠霜 / 卧雪眠霜
• 蠶眠 / 蚕眠 (cánmián)
• 行眠立盹
• 貓鼠同眠 / 猫鼠同眠
• 長眠 / 长眠 (chángmián)
• 陷眠 (hām-bîn) (Min Nan)
• 高枕而眠

Pronunciation 2

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): miǎn (mian³)

  (Zhuyin): ㄇㄧㄢˇ

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: miǎn
    • Zhuyin: ㄇㄧㄢˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: miǎn
    • Wade–Giles: mien³
    • Yale: myǎn
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: mean
    • Palladius: мянь (mjanʹ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /mi̯ɛn²¹⁴/

Definitions

眠

1. Only used in 眠娗.

References

• “眠”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

Japanese

Kanji

眠

(Jōyō kanji)

1. sleep

Readings

• Go-on: めん (men)
• Kan-on: べん (ben)
• Kan’yō-on: みん (min, Jōyō)
• Kun: ねむい (nemui, 眠い, Jōyō)、ねむる (nemuru, 眠る, Jōyō)、ねむり (nemuri)

Derived terms

• 眠(ねむ)い (nemui)
• 居(い)眠(ねむ)り (inemuri)
• 睡(すい)眠(みん) (suimin)

Kanji in this term
眠
みん Grade: S
kan'yōon

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) みん [míꜜǹ] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [mʲĩɴ]

Noun

眠(みん) • (min) 

1. rest (of a silkworm before moulting)

Synonyms

• (of a silkworm): 休(やす)み (yasumi)

Korean

Hanja

眠 (eumhun 잠잘 면 (jamjal myeon))

1. hanja form^? of 면 (“close eyes, sleep”)
2. hanja form^? of 면 (“hibernate”)

Vietnamese

Han character

眠: Hán Nôm readings: miên

1. This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.