How to Write 睡 (shuì) — Meaning “To sleep.”

Imagine your eyes (目) are so heavy that they start to droop (垂) down, like heavy eyelids closing before you fall asleep. Picture the vertical stroke of 垂 as a pillow supporting your head.

The left radical 目 is narrow, while the right part 垂 has a balanced, symmetrical shape—avoid making the eye too wide. A common mistake is forgetting the short horizontal stroke inside 目 (the pupil), so make sure to write it clearly.

睡 means 'to sleep' and uses the eye radical with 垂; 眦 (zì) means 'corner of the eye' – it has 此 (this) on the right instead of 垂. 眭 (suī) is a rare surname or ancient word for 'deep-set eyes' – it has the phonetic 圭 (guī) on the right. Only 睡 is common and appears in HSK 1.

睡 is used in common expressions like 睡觉 (to sleep) and 午睡 (afternoon nap). It's also used in phrases like 睡着 (to fall asleep). Culturally, a short 午睡 is a common practice in China, especially in summer, to rest during the midday break.

Common words containing 睡 include: 睡觉 (shuì jiào) — To sleep.; 午睡 (wǔ shuì) — afternoon nap; 睡着 (shuì zháo) — To fall asleep..