A1 Expression 中性

眠いです

nemui desu

I'm sleepy

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use {眠|ねむ}いです to express that you are feeling sleepy or tired in a polite, standard way.

  • Means: I am sleepy.
  • Used in: Casual conversations with friends or polite interactions with acquaintances.
  • Don't confuse: {眠|ねむ}い (casual) with {眠|ねむ}いです (polite).
Yawn emoji + Bed emoji = Time to sleep

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means 'I am sleepy'. Use it when you are tired and want to sleep.
Use '{眠|ねむ}いです' to describe your physical state. It is polite and appropriate for daily conversations with people you don't know very well.
This is an i-adjective construction. It is commonly used to provide a reason for low energy or to signal the end of an evening. It is socially acceptable to use this to excuse yourself from a gathering.
The phrase functions as a predicate. In Japanese, expressing physical states is often done directly. While it is simple, it carries cultural weight regarding the 'hard-working' ethos of Japanese society, where fatigue is often a badge of effort.
Syntactically, it is an i-adjective in the polite register. Pragmatically, it serves as a face-saving device or a social softener. By stating one's fatigue, the speaker manages expectations regarding their engagement level in a social interaction.
From a cognitive linguistics perspective, '{眠|ねむ}いです' maps the internal physiological state of 'sleepiness' onto the external communicative act. It demonstrates the Japanese preference for 'state-of-being' descriptions over 'action-oriented' ones, reflecting a culture that prioritizes the internal state of the individual within the collective.

意思

Expressing feeling sleepy.

🌍

文化背景

Admitting sleepiness is often a sign of hard work. Sleepiness is often seen as a personal health issue.

💡

Politeness

Always add 'desu' to be safe.

意思

Expressing feeling sleepy.

💡

Politeness

Always add 'desu' to be safe.

自我测试

Complete the sentence.

とても＿＿＿＿です。

✓ 正确！ ✗ 不太对。 正确答案： 眠い

Adjective + desu is the correct structure.

🎉 得分： /1

常见问题

1 个问题

Only if you are very close.

相关表达

🔗

{疲|つか}れました

similar

I am tired.

在哪里用

📱

Texting a friend

A: もう{寝|ね}る？

B: {眠|ねむ}いから{寝|ね}るね。

informal
☕

At the office

Colleague: {疲|つか}れてる？

You: {眠|ねむ}いです。コーヒー{飲|の}んできます。

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Think of 'Nemu' (the name) falling asleep. 'Nemu-is' (sleepy).

Visual Association

Imagine a cat named Nemu closing its eyes and saying 'desu'.

Rhyme

Nemu-i, I'm sleepy, time to go to bed-i.

Story

Nemu the cat was very busy. By 9 PM, Nemu felt heavy. Nemu said, 'I am sleepy!' and curled up.

Word Web

寝る眠たい睡眠疲れたあくびベッド

挑战

Say '{眠|ねむ}いです' every time you feel tired today.

In Other Languages

Spanish moderate

Tengo sueño

Spanish treats sleepiness as a possession; Japanese as a state.

French moderate

J'ai sommeil

French uses a noun, Japanese uses an adjective.

German high

Ich bin müde

German 'müde' covers both tired and sleepy.

Japanese self

{眠|ねむ}いです

N/A

Arabic high

أنا نعسان (Ana na'san)

Arabic distinguishes gender in the adjective.

Easily Confused

眠いです 对比 {眠|ねむ}い vs {疲|つか}れた

Both mean low energy.

{眠|ねむ}い is for sleep, {疲|つか}れた is for general exhaustion.

常见问题 (1)

Only if you are very close.

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