睡 meaning and stroke order
To sleep; to lie down
How to write 睡, stroke by stroke
13 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 睡
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to sleep
- to lie down
How 睡 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Eye.
目 gives the meaning and 垂 hints at the sound.
Radical: 目 (eye), shared by 100 characters on this site.
How to remember 睡
睡 (shuì) puts 目 (mù, eye) next to 垂 (chuí, to hang down). Picture your eyelids drooping down over your eyes as you fall asleep, and 垂 also hints at the sound.
On its own 睡 is less common than the word 睡觉 (shuìjiào), which is the everyday way to say "go to bed" or "sleep." For example, 我十一点睡觉。(Wǒ shíyī diǎn shuìjiào.) I go to sleep at eleven. Use 睡着 (shuìzháo) when you mean actually falling asleep, not just going to bed.
Common mistake: Learners often mix up 睡 with 垂 (chuí) or forget the 目 on the left, writing only the right side. Also, in 睡觉 the 觉 is read jiào, not jué as in 觉得 (juéde).
Common words with 睡
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 睡觉 | shuìjiào | to go to bed; to sleep | HSK 1 |
| 午睡 | wǔshuì | to take a nap in the afternoon | HSK 2 |
| 睡着 | shuìzháo | to fall asleep | HSK 4 |
| 睡眠 | shuìmián | sleep; to sleep | HSK 5 |
| 睡袋 | shuìdài | sleeping bag | HSK 7-9 |
| 酣睡 | hānshuì | to sleep soundly; to fall into a deep sleep | HSK 7-9 |
| 睡衣 | shuìyī | night clothes; pajamas | |
| 入睡 | rùshuì | to fall asleep | |
| 沉睡 | chénshuì | to be fast asleep; (fig.) to lie dormant; to lie undiscovered | |
| 睡醒 | shuìxǐng | to wake up | |
| 小睡 | xiǎoshuì | to nap; to doze | |
| 打瞌睡 | dǎkēshuì | to doze; to nod off | |
| 睡梦中 | shuìmèngzhōng | in one's sleep | |
| 熟睡 | shúshuì | asleep; sleeping soundly |
睡 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 睡
How many strokes are in 睡?
睡 is written with 13 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 睡 mean?
睡 (shuì) means to sleep; to lie down. A common word with it is 睡觉 (shuìjiào), meaning "to go to bed; to sleep".
How do you pronounce 睡?
睡 is pronounced shuì, in the fourth tone (falling).
What is the radical of 睡?
The radical of 睡 is 目, which carries the idea of "eye". Dictionaries list 睡 under this radical.
Is 睡 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 睡 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
What is the difference between 睡觉 and 睡着?
睡觉 (shuìjiào) means to go to bed or to sleep as an activity. 睡着 (shuìzháo) means to actually fall asleep. For example, 我睡不着 (wǒ shuì bu zháo) means "I can't fall asleep."
How do you say "take a nap" in Chinese?
Use 午睡 (wǔshuì) for an afternoon nap, as in 我每天午睡 (wǒ měitiān wǔshuì), "I nap every afternoon." In casual speech people also say 睡一会儿 (shuì yíhuìr), "sleep for a little while."