睡 — “Drowsy / Sleep / Die” in Japanese

Master (高手)すい, ねむ

Radical ⽬ · radical 109 The building block this kanji is filed under

“Drowsy / Sleep / Die” in Japanese is 睡, read sui, nemu (すい, ねむ). It is a Jōyō kanji taught in Japanese secondary school (junior & senior high) — the 高手 · Master tier beyond the grade 1–6 Kyōiku set, and appears in words such as 睡眠 (sleep).

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What does 睡 mean?

Full details, readings & example

Kanji	睡
Meaning	Drowsy / Sleep / Die
Readings	すい, ねむ
Grade	Master (高手 · secondary school)
Curriculum	Jōyō kanji · Japanese secondary school (JLPT N1–N2)
Example	睡眠 (sleep)

How to read 睡

睡 is read sui (すい) or nemu (ねむ) depending on the word.

Words with 睡

睡眠

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Kanji read the same way as 睡

Same sound, different character — the classic trap. Compare them side by side:

Updated: 2026-08-28