A2 adjective 중립 #1,200 가장 일반적인 2분 분량

ねむい

nemui /nemui/
연습하기 노트와 팁

Overview

The Japanese word 'ねむい' (nemui) is an i-adjective meaning 'sleepy' or 'drowsy.' It's a fundamental word in Japanese for expressing the state of being tired and wanting to sleep.

* **Plain Form (Present/Affirmative):** ねむい (nemui)

  • Example: 私はねむいです。 (Watashi wa nemui desu.) - I am sleepy.

* **Plain Form (Present/Negative):** ねむくない (nemukunai)

  • Example: 彼はねむくない。 (Kare wa nemukunai.) - He is not sleepy.

* **Plain Form (Past/Affirmative):** ねむかった (nemukatta)

  • Example: 昨日の夜、私はとてもねむかった。 (Kinō no yoru, watashi wa totemo nemukatta.) - Last night, I was very sleepy.

* **Plain Form (Past/Negative):** ねむくなかった (nemukunakatta)

  • Example: 旅行中はあまりねむくなかった。 (Ryokōchū wa amari nemukunakatta.) - I wasn't very sleepy during the trip.
  • Formal Form (Present/Affirmative): ねむいです (nemui desu)
  • This is the most common and polite way to say 'I am sleepy.'
  • Formal Form (Present/Negative): ねむくありません (nemuku arimasen) or ねむくないです (nemukunai desu)
  • Both are correct, with ねむくありません being slightly more formal.
  • Formal Form (Past/Affirmative): ねむかったです (nemukatta desu)
  • Formal Form (Past/Negative): ねむくありませんでした (nemuku arimasen deshita) or ねむくなかったです (nemukunakatta desu)

**Common Phrases and Expressions:**

  • ねむい時間 (nemui jikan): Sleepy time/Hour when one feels sleepy.
  • ねむい目をこする (nemui me o kosuru): To rub one's sleepy eyes.
  • ねむい声 (nemui koe): Sleepy voice.
  • ねむくなってきた (nemuku natte kita): I'm starting to feel sleepy.
  • ねむくてたまらない (nemukute tamaranai): I'm so sleepy I can't stand it (literally, 'unbearably sleepy'). This expresses a very strong feeling of sleepiness.
  • ねむいけれど、がんばる (nemui keredo, ganbaru): I'm sleepy, but I'll do my best.

**Nuances and Context:**

'ねむい' primarily describes a physical state of drowsiness. It's often used when one has not had enough sleep, is tired, or is feeling the effects of a long day. It can be used by anyone, regardless of age or social standing, to express this common human experience.

**Related Words:**

  • 眠る (nemuru): The verb 'to sleep.'
  • 眠り (nemuri): The noun 'sleep.'
  • 眠気 (nemuke): Drowsiness, sleepiness (noun). You might hear expressions like 眠気覚まし (nemuke samashi - something to wake oneself up from drowsiness, like coffee).
  • 疲れている (tsukarete iru): To be tired (more general physical exhaustion, not necessarily wanting to sleep).

Understanding 'ねむい' and its various forms and related expressions is crucial for communicating one's physical state in Japanese effectively.

예시

1

昨日あんまり寝てないから、ねむい。

Casual conversation

I didn't sleep much last night, so I'm sleepy.

2

授業中なのに、ねむくて仕方がない。

Personal feeling, expressing an uncontrollable state

Even though I'm in class, I can't help but be sleepy.

3

この薬を飲むとねむくなります。

Medical context, explaining side effects

This medicine makes me sleepy.

4

朝早くから起きていたので、もうねむいです。

Explaining the reason for sleepiness

I've been up since early morning, so I'm already sleepy.

5

ねむいときは、無理せず休憩してください。

Giving advice or a suggestion

When you're sleepy, please don't push yourself and take a break.

자주 쓰는 조합

ねむい目 (nemui me - sleepy eyes)
ねむい顔 (nemui kao - sleepy face)
ねむい声 (nemui koe - sleepy voice)
ねむい朝 (nemui asa - sleepy morning)

자주 혼동되는 단어

ねむい vs ねむたい

ねむい (nemui) and ねむたい (nemutai) both mean 'sleepy'. While often interchangeable, ねむたい can sometimes carry a slightly stronger nuance of feeling a physical need to sleep, or a drowsiness that is more difficult to overcome. ねむい is a more general term for feeling sleepy.

문법 패턴

ねむい + です (nemui desu): I am sleepy. (Standard polite form) ねむい + から (nemui kara): Because I am sleepy... (Used to give a reason) ねむい + とき (nemui toki): When I am sleepy... (Used to describe a situation)

사용법

'Nemui' (ねむい) is an i-adjective in Japanese, meaning 'sleepy' or 'drowsy.' It describes a state of feeling sleepy. You can use it directly to describe yourself or someone else. For example, 'Watashi wa nemui desu' (私はねむいです) means 'I am sleepy.' The politeness level can be adjusted by changing the ending: 'nemui' (casual), 'nemui desu' (polite). To express feeling very sleepy, you can add adverbs like 'totemo' (とても, very) or 'sugoku' (すごく, extremely): 'Totemo nemui desu' (とてもねむいです, I am very sleepy). It can also be used as a modifier before a noun, although this is less common for 'nemui' itself and more for its noun form 'nemuke' (眠気, sleepiness). For instance, 'nemui me' (眠い目) would mean 'sleepy eyes.' When someone asks 'Doushita no?' (どうしたの?, What's wrong?) and you're sleepy, 'Nemui ndesu' (眠いんです) is a natural and common response, using 'n desu' for explanation. It's straightforward and widely understood in everyday conversation.

자주 하는 실수

People sometimes confuse ねむい (nemui - sleepy) with ねる (neru - to sleep). ねむい is an adjective describing a state, while ねる is a verb describing an action.

팁

💡

Word Type

i-adjective

💡

Common Mistake

Don't confuse with '眠い' (nemui) which is the more common kanji spelling. While 'ねむい' is phonetically correct, '眠い' is generally preferred in writing.

💡

Usage Example

今日はねむいです。 (Kyō wa nemui desu.) - I am sleepy today.

어원

The word 'ねむい' (nemui) has a long history in the Japanese language. It can be traced back to the classical Japanese verb 'ねむる' (nemuru), meaning 'to sleep.' The adjectival form 'ねむし' (nemushi) evolved from this verb, and over time, it transformed into the modern 'ねむい'. Its roots are deeply embedded in the Old Japanese period, with appearances in ancient texts such as the Man'yōshū, a collection of Japanese poetry compiled in the 8th century. In these early instances, 'ねむし' conveyed a similar meaning of being drowsy or feeling the need to sleep. Linguistically, 'ねむい' follows a common pattern of adjective formation in Japanese, where a verb stem is combined with the adjectival suffix '-い' (-i). This indicates a state or quality, in this case, the state of being sleepy. Culturally, sleep and the feeling of sleepiness have always been significant. In a society that historically valued hard work and endurance, the feeling of sleepiness could be both a natural human experience and, at times, a challenge to overcome. The word 'ねむい' captures this universal human experience succinctly and has remained a fundamental part of everyday Japanese vocabulary for centuries, reflecting a continuous thread in the human condition across different eras.

문화적 맥락

In Japanese culture, acknowledging one's sleepiness ('nemui') is generally accepted in casual settings among friends, family, or close colleagues. It's often accompanied by a yawn or a stretching gesture. However, openly expressing extreme sleepiness or appearing visibly drowsy in formal or professional environments might be perceived as a lack of professionalism or respect, especially during meetings or presentations. There's a concept called 'inemuri' (居眠り), which is napping in public, often in a seated position like on a train or in an office. While it might seem unusual to outsiders, 'inemuri' is sometimes seen as a sign of dedication, implying that the person worked so hard they didn't get enough sleep at home. It's a nuanced cultural behavior, distinct from simply being 'nemui' and implies an acceptable form of resting without completely disengaging. For children, expressing 'nemui' is perfectly natural and often elicits care and understanding from adults. Overall, the social acceptability of expressing 'nemui' depends heavily on the context, the company, and the perceived reasons behind the sleepiness.

암기 팁

Associate ねむい (nemui) with 'NEMU' which sounds like 'dream' in Japanese (yume). When you're sleepy, you want to dream.

자주 묻는 질문

4 질문

The Japanese word for 'sleepy' is 'ねむい' (nemui).

'ねむい' is pronounced 'neh-moo-ee'. The 'ne' is like the 'ne' in 'nest', the 'mu' is like the 'mu' in 'music', and the 'i' is like the 'ee' in 'see'.

While 'ねむい' primarily refers to physical sleepiness, it can sometimes be used in a more figurative sense to express a feeling of dullness or lack of energy, similar to how one might say 'I'm feeling a bit groggy' in English.

Yes, there are several. For example, '眠い' (nemui) is the kanji form of 'ねむい'. '眠る' (nemuru) means 'to sleep'. '睡眠' (suimin) means 'sleep' (noun), and '居眠り' (inemuri) refers to napping or dozing off, often in public.

셀프 테스트

fill blank

私は___。

정답! 아쉬워요. 정답:
fill blank

とても___ので、早く寝たいです。

정답! 아쉬워요. 정답:
fill blank

授業中なのに、___。

정답! 아쉬워요. 정답:

점수: /3

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