Signification
To engage in the act of sleeping or resting.
Contexte culturel
The 'Pali-pali' (hurry-hurry) culture often leads to sleep deprivation, making 'Kkul-jam' (honey sleep) a highly valued concept in modern wellness. Floor sleeping on 'Ondol' (heated floors) is still common and preferred by many for its perceived health benefits for the back. Taking short naps at the desk is often tolerated in Korean offices more than in Western ones, as it shows the employee has been working hard. The '4-pass 5-fail' (사당오락) proverb highlights the extreme pressure on students to sacrifice sleep for exam success.
Drop the '을'
In casual conversation, just say '잠 자다'. It sounds much more natural and less like a textbook.
Honorifics Matter
Using '자다' for your parents or boss can be seen as a sign of poor upbringing. Practice '주무시다' early!
Signification
To engage in the act of sleeping or resting.
Drop the '을'
In casual conversation, just say '잠 자다'. It sounds much more natural and less like a textbook.
Honorifics Matter
Using '자다' for your parents or boss can be seen as a sign of poor upbringing. Practice '주무시다' early!
Use '푹'
Add '푹' (puk) before '잤어요' to say you slept really deeply. '푹 잤어요!' is a great phrase to use.
Sleep Greetings
Koreans often ask '잘 잤어?' (Did you sleep well?) as a morning greeting, similar to 'How are you?'
Teste-toi
Fill in the blank with the correct form of '잠을 자다' in the polite present tense.
저는 밤 10시에 ______.
The sentence describes a general habit, so the present tense '자요' is correct.
Which sentence is the most appropriate when talking about your grandfather?
Grandfather is sleeping.
When the subject is an elder, you must use the honorific '주무시다'.
Match the Korean phrase with its English meaning.
Match the following:
These are common variations of the base phrase.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 어제 왜 전화를 안 받았어요? B: 미안해요. 일찍 _______.
The question is in the past tense, so the answer should also be in the past tense.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
Plain vs. Honorific
Banque d exercices
4 exercices저는 밤 10시에 ______.
The sentence describes a general habit, so the present tense '자요' is correct.
Grandfather is sleeping.
When the subject is an elder, you must use the honorific '주무시다'.
Associez chaque element a gauche avec son pair a droite :
These are common variations of the base phrase.
A: 어제 왜 전화를 안 받았어요? B: 미안해요. 일찍 _______.
The question is in the past tense, so the answer should also be in the past tense.
🎉 Score : /4
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsYes! '자다' is the verb 'to sleep'. Adding '잠을' just makes it a bit more emphatic or formal. In daily life, '자다' is very common.
'잠을 자다' is the common, everyday term. '취침하다' is very formal and often used in military contexts or official schedules.
Use '졸려요' (jol-lyeo-yo) or '잠이 와요' (jam-i wa-yo). Don't use '잠을 자요' to mean you are sleepy.
Yes, you can use it for animals. '강아지가 잠을 자요' (The puppy is sleeping).
'꿀' means honey. So '꿀잠' is 'honey sleep'—a very sweet, deep, and satisfying sleep.
Add '-고 싶어요' to the verb stem: '잠을 자고 싶어요'.
Like in English, it can have that connotation depending on context, but it is primarily used for the literal act of sleeping.
'잠' is the object of the verb '자다'. Therefore, it takes the object marker '을'.
'낮' means daytime. So '낮잠' is a daytime sleep, or a nap.
Use '늦잠을 잤어요' (I slept a late sleep).
Young people often use '기절' (fainting) to mean they fell asleep very fast because they were tired.
'잠에서 깨다' (to wake up from sleep) or '일어나다' (to get up).
Expressions liées
주무시다
specialized formTo sleep (honorific)
졸다
similarTo doze off
취침하다
synonymTo go to bed (formal)
눈을 붙이다
similarTo catch some Z's
잠이 들다
builds onTo fall asleep
