About
The character "眠", meaning to sleep, is structurally composed of the semantic radical "目" indicating the eye, paired with the component "民" which primarily functions as a phonetic element. Its etymology traces back to the basic notion of closing the eyes, a sense reflected in early textual uses where it could broadly denote rest or the act of shutting one's eyes, occasionally extending metaphorically to death or inactivity. Over the course of its historical usage, the meaning of "眠" gradually specialized to refer specifically to the state of sleep, moving away from those wider associations and becoming the standard term for this universal human experience. The character's form has remained consistent, with the eye radical perpetually underscoring the visual dimension of sleep as a cessation of seeing, while the phonetic component has anchored its pronunciation. This refinement in meaning, from a general concept of ocular closure to a focused designation of slumber, demonstrates a natural linguistic process where the character's role became more defined within the lexicon.
Example Sentences Hide
睡眠对健康有益。
我每天需要八小时睡眠。
她因为压力而失眠。
充足的睡眠能提高工作效率。
如果你失眠，可以喝一杯温牛奶。
许多动物在冬天会进入冬眠状态。
长期睡眠不足可能导致健康问题。
通过冥想和放松技巧，他可以改善自己的睡眠质量。