nemuru

Nemuru (眠る) is a Japanese verb meaning to sleep or to be asleep. It is an intransitive verb used to describe the act of sleeping or the state of having slept. The word is commonly found in everyday speech as well as literature and media.

It contrasts with 寝る (neru), which more often covers going to bed or lying down to sleep. 眠る emphasizes the ongoing sleep state or the process, while 寝る is more about the act of going to bed and sleeping.

Conjugation: 眠る (dictionary form); polite 眠ります; te-form 眠って; past 眠った; negative 眠らない; potential 眠れる; volitional 眠ろう. The causative 眠らせる exists to mean “to put to sleep” or “to let sleep.”

Usage notes: 眠る is used for humans and animals, in both literal and literary contexts. It often appears with expressions such as 眠る前に (before sleeping) and 眠りにつく (to fall asleep). The noun forms are 眠り (the state of sleep) and 眠気 (sleepiness).

Related terms include 寝る, 眠気, and 眠り.