How to Write 寝 (qǐn) — Meaning “To sleep; bedroom.”

Imagine a queen (pronounced like "qǐn") lying under a roof (宀) in her bedroom. The bottom part 㑒 looks like a person curled up on a bed, with the left stroke as the body and the right part as a blanket. So, "the queen sleeps under a roof" helps you recall 寝 as sleep or bedroom.

Make sure the top radical 宀 is wide enough to cover the bottom part. The bottom part 㑒 starts with a left vertical stroke (亻), then a horizontal stroke and a rightward sweeping stroke (又). A common mistake is writing the bottom part too narrow or forgetting the left vertical stroke; also, the final stroke should extend slightly to the right.

寝 specifically means "to sleep" or "bedroom," while 宿 (sù) means "to stay overnight" or "lodging" and 寂 (jì) means "quiet" or "lonely." Visually, 寝 has the unique component 㑒, whereas 宿 uses 㐭 and 寂 uses 叔 under the same roof radical. In usage, 寝 is used for sleeping places, 宿 for temporary accommodation, and 寂 for silent environments.

寝 is used in formal or written words like 寝室 (dormitory/bedroom) and 就寝 (to go to bed). It is less common in casual conversation than 睡 (shuì), but appears in school, military, or hotel settings. Culturally, 就寝 is often used for scheduled bedtime announcements in dormitories or boarding schools.

Common words containing 寝 include: 寝室 (qǐn shì) — Dormitory; bedroom.; 就寝 (jiù qǐn) — to go to bed; to retire for the night; 寝具 (qǐn jù) — Bedding..