Details
Stroke Order
Cultural Context
Etymology
Composed of eye and people. People's eye.
Symbolism
Sleep, slumber, sound sleep. Represents sleeping.
Related Culture & Scenes
- — Falling asleep
Component Breakdown
eye + 民
Words & Expressions
Words written with 眠
Four-Character Compounds
不眠不休
ふみんふきゅう
no sleep or rest; working day and night
眠り込む
ねむりこむ
To fall into a deep sleep; To sleep soundly
Proverbs & Idioms
眠れる獅子
ねむれるしし
A sleeping lion
Untapped potential
Poetry
釣鐘にとまりて眠る胡蝶かな
A butterfly settled on the temple bell, asleep.
Anime & Manga
寝取られ
Sleeping Beauty type works
Various works themed on 'sleep.'
佐伯さんは眠ってる
Saeki-san wa Nemutteru
A well-known work with 眠 in its Japanese title.
Games
ゼルダの伝説
Legend of Zelda(1986)
Developer: Nintendo
Adventure to save a princess in 'sleep.'
View on Amazon →Other kanji with the same meaning
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 眠 mean in Japanese?
眠 means sleep, die, sleepy.
How do you read 眠?
On'yomi: ミン (MIN). Kun'yomi: ねむ.る、ねむ.い (nemuru, nemui).
How many strokes does 眠 have?
眠 has 10 strokes. Its radical is 目 (eye).
Is 眠 a good kanji for a tattoo?
眠 is one of the kanji most often chosen for tattoos. It means sleep, die, sleepy. Read the full meaning and cultural background on this page first — some popular choices are deliberately dark.