หลับ
sleep
A native Thai recording for this word is on the way. Please check back soon.
- 1 sleep、be asleep、fall asleep
- 2 close (one's eyes)、shut (one's eyes)
This word mainly describes being asleep. When combined with ตา (“eyes”), it refers to closing one’s eyes without necessarily falling asleep.
sleep、be asleep、fall asleep
Describes actually falling asleep or being asleep, rather than simply lying down or going to bed.
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เด็กหลับแล้ว dèk làp lɛ́ɛw The child is asleep now. เด็กหลับแล้ว details
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เขาหลับสนิท khǎw làp sanìt He is sound asleep. เขาหลับสนิท details
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อย่าหลับนะ yàa làp ná Don't fall asleep. อย่าหลับนะ details
close (one's eyes)、shut (one's eyes)
Used with ตา (“eyes”) to describe shutting one’s eyelids, whether or not sleep follows.
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หลับตาก่อน làp taa kɔ̀ɔn Close your eyes first. หลับตาก่อน details
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หลับตาแล้วฟังเพลง làp taa lɛ́ɛw faŋ phleeŋ Close your eyes and listen to the music. หลับตาแล้วฟังเพลง details
Learning notes
Explanation
The central meaning of หลับ is to actually be asleep, with conscious awareness temporarily at rest. นอน can describe lying down or going to bed without sleeping. For example, นอนแล้วแต่ยังไม่หลับ means “I’ve gone to bed, but I’m not asleep yet.” นอนหลับ is a common expression meaning “to sleep.” Frequent combinations include นอนไม่หลับ (“cannot sleep”), หลับสนิท (“sleep soundly”), and เผลอหลับ (“doze off accidentally”). In หลับตา, the word refers to closing the eyelids and does not necessarily involve sleep.
Usage
It is common in everyday conversations about sleep: saying that a child has fallen asleep, explaining that you could not sleep, or warning someone not to doze off in class or while driving. หลับตา is also used when asking someone to close their eyes during an examination, meditation, or a photograph.
Caution
หลับ does not mean “sleepy”; use ง่วง for that feeling. To say “close your eyes,” normally use the full expression หลับตา rather than หลับ alone. Phrases such as หลับไปตลอดกาล can euphemistically refer to death, but the basic meaning of หลับ is simply “sleep.”
Differences from similar words
1 sleep synonyms
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นอน can mean to lie down or go to bed, so it does not always imply sleep. หลับ specifically indicates falling asleep or being asleep.