眠 mián sleep
sleep; shut-eye; hibernation
How to remember 眠: 目 eye + 民 citizens = sleep. At the town meeting one eye after another closes, and soon half the citizens in the hall have drifted off to sleep.
Component breakdown
眠 = 目 eye + 民 citizens
- 目 eye
- 民 citizens
At the town meeting one eye after another closes, and soon half the citizens in the hall have drifted off to sleep.
How it is used
- Bound, somewhat literary/medical word for "sleep" - you don't say 我要眠了 for "I'm going to sleep", that's plain 睡觉.
- 失眠 (shīmián) "insomnia" and 睡眠 (shuìmián) "sleep" (as a noun, e.g. 睡眠质量 "sleep quality") are the everyday medical/health-article terms.
- 催眠 (cuīmián) "hypnosis" and 休眠 (xiūmián) "dormant" (for animals or software/systems) extend the root sense.
- 安眠药 (ānmiányào) "sleeping pill" is the standard term you'd hear at a pharmacy.