眠

Tap the pinyin to hear it

to sleep; to hibernate

Sound it out + + =

Formation & memory

Break the character into parts you already know.

Phono-semantic compound (形声字)

目 meaning “eye” + 民 sound ( mín )

Components 目民

slumber · Heisig RSH #1378

目 eye + 民 people

Keyword method from Heisig's Remembering Simplified Hanzi.

The most common words first — learning a character in context makes it stick.

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
一夜无眠	yī yè wú mián	to have a sleepless night
夜不成眠	yè bù chéng mián	to be unable to sleep at night
不眠不休	bù mián bù xiū	without stopping to sleep or have a rest (idiom)
利眠宁	lì mián níng	chlordiazepoxide; (trade name) Librium (loanword)
安眠药	ān mián yào	sleeping pill; CL:粒[li4]
休眠火山	xiū mián huǒ shān	dormant volcano
睡眠失调	shuì mián shī tiáo	sleep disorder
安眠	ān mián	to sleep peacefully
长眠	cháng mián	(euphemism) to rest eternally; to lie buried in (one's final resting place)
抵足而眠	dǐ zú ér mián	lit. to live and sleep together (idiom); fig. a close friendship
入眠	rù mián	to fall asleep
失眠	shī mián	to suffer from insomnia
彻夜不眠	chè yè bù mián	to be sleepless all night
自我催眠	zì wǒ cuī mián	self-hypnotism
催眠状态	cuī mián zhuàng tài	hypnosis
睡眠虫	shuì mián chóng	trypanosome
补眠	bǔ mián	to catch up on sleep
微睡眠	wēi shuì mián	microsleep
催眠师	cuī mián shī	hypnotist
安眠酮	ān mián tóng	methaqualone; hyminal

Characters sharing the sound component 民 — compare how they read.

Character	Pinyin	Meaning
民 sound part	mín	citizens, subjects; a nation's people
泯	mǐn	to destroy, to eliminate; to perish
抿	mǐn	to press, to smooth; to purse the lips
岷	mín	the Min mountains; the Min river
湣	mǐn	confused, mixed; to pity
珉	mín	alabaster; a jade-like stone
敃	mǐn	robust, strong, vigorous
苠	mín	number, multitude; bamboo skin