잠자리에 들다.
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Go to bed.
Phrase in 30 Seconds
A beautiful, slightly more descriptive way to say 'going to bed' than just 'sleeping'.
- Means: To physically get into bed with the intention of sleeping.
- Used in: Describing your nightly routine or telling someone you're retiring for the night.
- Don't confuse: With the word for 'dragonfly', which is also spelled '잠자리' but pronounced differently.
Explanation at your level:
Signification
To prepare for and enter one's bed to sleep.
Contexte culturel
The 'Ondol' heating system meant the floor was the center of life. '잠자리' refers to the specific spot on the floor where bedding was laid out each night and folded away each morning. Despite the prevalence of beds, the phrase is still used. However, '수면' (sleep - formal) is often used in health contexts, like '수면 부족' (sleep deprivation). In the military, '취침' is the official term. At a specific time, the command '취침!' is given, and all soldiers must enter their '잠자리'. It's common for young children to sleep in the same '잠자리' as their parents until they reach school age, a practice that emphasizes family bonding.
Use with '-기 전에'
This phrase is perfect for talking about habits. '잠자리에 들기 전에...' (Before going to bed...)
Particle Check
Always use '-에'. Using '-를' or '-가' changes the meaning entirely or makes it nonsensical.
Signification
To prepare for and enter one's bed to sleep.
Use with '-기 전에'
This phrase is perfect for talking about habits. '잠자리에 들기 전에...' (Before going to bed...)
Particle Check
Always use '-에'. Using '-를' or '-가' changes the meaning entirely or makes it nonsensical.
Honorifics
When talking to elders, use '잠자리에 드시다' or the even more polite '주무시다'.
The Dragonfly Joke
Koreans often make puns about '잠자리' (bed) and '잠자리' (dragonfly). Knowing this will help you understand Korean humor!
Teste-toi
Fill in the correct particle and verb form.
너무 졸려서 지금 잠자리___ _______ (들다 - present polite).
The destination particle '-에' is used with the verb '들다'.
Which sentence is the most natural way to say 'I went to bed early yesterday'?
어제는 일찍...
'잠자리에 들다' is the standard collocation for going to bed.
Complete the dialogue.
A: 아이들이 아직 안 자요? B: 아니요, 벌써 ________________.
The question asks if they are 'not sleeping yet', so the answer should be in the past tense 'already went to bed'.
Match the phrase to the situation.
When you are writing in your diary about your nightly routine:
'잠자리에 들다' is the perfect descriptive phrase for a diary entry.
🎉 Score : /4
Aides visuelles
자다 vs. 잠자리에 들다
Questions fréquentes
12 questionsUsually, yes. It implies the main sleep of the day. For a nap, you'd say '낮잠을 자다'.
Yes, if the dog has a specific bed or spot where it sleeps.
'자다' is the state of sleeping. '잠자리에 들다' is the act of getting into bed.
Yes, it's polite and neutral. It's better than the very casual '자러 가요'.
In specific contexts, '잠자리를 같이 하다' (to share a bed) can imply sex, but '잠자리에 들다' by itself is innocent.
You would say '이미 잠자리에 누웠어요' (I'm already lying in bed).
Yes! Even a sleeping bag in a tent is a '잠자리'.
It disappears in some conjugations, like '드세요' (please enter).
It reflects the idea of entering a state of rest or a physical enclosure of blankets.
Constantly! Especially in historical dramas (Sageuk).
It's understandable but '잠자리에 들다' is the set idiom. People usually say '침대에 눕다'.
'잠자리에서 일어나다' (to get up from the bed).
Expressions liées
자러 가다
similarTo go to sleep
취침하다
specialized formTo retire for sleep (formal)
꿈나라로 가다
similarTo go to dreamland
눈을 붙이다
similarTo get some shut-eye
단잠을 자다
builds onTo have a sweet/deep sleep
밤을 새우다
contrastTo stay up all night
Où l'utiliser
Parent putting a child to bed
엄마 (Mom): 우리 강아지, 이제 잠자리에 들 시간이야.
아이 (Child): 5분만 더 놀면 안 돼요?
Texting a partner at night
A: 오늘 하루도 수고했어. 난 이제 잠자리에 들려고.
B: 응, 잘 자. 내 꿈 꿔!
In a hotel with a friend
친구 1: 내일 조식 먹으려면 일찍 잠자리에 들어야겠다.
친구 2: 맞아. 알람 맞춰놨어?
Doctor advising a patient
의사 (Doctor): 매일 같은 시간에 잠자리에 드는 것이 중요합니다.
환자 (Patient): 네, 노력해 보겠습니다.
Writing in a diary
나 (Me): 오늘은 보람찬 하루였다. 12시가 다 되어서야 잠자리에 들었다.
Business trip with a colleague
부장님: 피곤할 텐데 먼저 잠자리에 드세요.
대리: 아닙니다. 정리 좀 더 하고 자겠습니다.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Think of 'Jam' (잠) as your favorite pajamas, and 'Jari' (자리) as your 'Jerry' (the mouse) hole where you feel safe. You 'enter' (들다) your pajamas and your safe hole to sleep.
Visual Association
Imagine a person stepping into a giant, glowing, soft crescent moon that is shaped like a bed. As they step in, the world goes quiet.
Rhyme
잠자리에 들 시간, 꿈나라로 갈 시간 (Jam-ja-ri-e deul si-gan, kkum-na-ra-ro gal si-gan) - Time to go to bed, time to go to dreamland.
Story
Little Min-su had a long day of playing. He put on his favorite socks, walked to his warm floor mat (잠자리), and 'entered' (들다) it like a captain entering a submarine. Once inside, he was safe from the monsters of the night.
Word Web
Défi
Tonight, right as your feet touch the bed, say out loud: '지금 잠자리에 들어요' (I am going to bed now).
In Other Languages
Acostarse
Spanish is reflexive; Korean is a verb-phrase with a destination.
Se coucher
French often uses reflexive verbs for daily routines.
Zu Bett gehen
German uses 'go' (gehen), while Korean uses 'enter' (들다).
床に就く (Toko ni tsuku)
The verbs differ slightly in nuance but the cultural root is identical.
ذهب إلى النوم (Dhahaba ila al-nawm)
Korean specifies the 'place' (jari), Arabic specifies the 'state' (nawm).
上床 (Shàng chuáng)
Directional focus: Chinese is 'up', Korean is 'into'.
Go to bed
English is more functional; Korean '들다' feels more like entering a sanctuary.
Ir para a cama
Portuguese uses the preposition 'para' (for/to).
Easily Confused
Identical spelling in Hangeul.
Context is key. You don't 'enter' a dragonfly, and dragonflies don't usually appear in sentences about 11 PM.
Learners often drop the '자리' and the '-에'.
The correct phrase for 'falling asleep' is '잠이 들다' (Sleep enters [me]). '잠자리에 들다' is 'I enter the bed'.
FAQ (12)
Usually, yes. It implies the main sleep of the day. For a nap, you'd say '낮잠을 자다'.
Yes, if the dog has a specific bed or spot where it sleeps.
'자다' is the state of sleeping. '잠자리에 들다' is the act of getting into bed.
Yes, it's polite and neutral. It's better than the very casual '자러 가요'.
In specific contexts, '잠자리를 같이 하다' (to share a bed) can imply sex, but '잠자리에 들다' by itself is innocent.
You would say '이미 잠자리에 누웠어요' (I'm already lying in bed).
Yes! Even a sleeping bag in a tent is a '잠자리'.
It disappears in some conjugations, like '드세요' (please enter).
It reflects the idea of entering a state of rest or a physical enclosure of blankets.
Constantly! Especially in historical dramas (Sageuk).
It's understandable but '잠자리에 들다' is the set idiom. People usually say '침대에 눕다'.
'잠자리에서 일어나다' (to get up from the bed).
