あまり寝る

To say 'not much,' you must use a negative verb. Pair amari with nenai or nemasendeshita. For example, amari nemasendeshita means 'I didn't sleep much.' If you use the positive amari neru, the meaning flips. Then it means you sleep 'too much' or 'excessively.' Most people use the negative version to complain about a short night. It’s a very common way to start a morning conversation.

Use this when you arrive at the office yawning. It’s great for small talk with your Japanese colleagues. You can use it when texting a friend late at night. It works well when explaining why you look a bit rough. If someone asks 'How are you?', this is a valid answer. It shows you’ve been working hard or perhaps had a late night out.

Don't use this if you slept a full eight hours. People will think you are being sarcastic or strange. Avoid using the positive form amari neru in professional settings. It might make you sound a bit lazy or unmotivated to some. Also, don't use it if you had zero sleep. For that, use zenzen instead of amari. Amari implies you got at least a little bit of rest.

Japan is famous for its 'Inemuri' or napping in public. This is because people often don't sleep much at home. Working late is often seen as a sign of commitment. Telling someone you didn't sleep much is almost a badge of honor. It suggests you were busy with something important or hard. It’s a shared cultural experience of being 'busy and tired.'

You might hear amari nerarenai quite often in Japan. This means 'I can't sleep much' (potential form). It implies you tried to sleep but just couldn't. Another variation is amari nemurenai, which is slightly more formal. You can also say amari nezu ni (without sleeping much). This is used when you kept working through the night. Use amari neru to when talking about the effects of sleeping too much.