Japanese verb · ru-verb · first needed at beginner level (A1)
寝る
neru
to sleep, to go to bed
A ru-verb: (nemasu), (nenai), (nete). It means both going to bed and sleeping.
Speed:
Present
現在形
Now, habits and the future. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ます is the default.
| plain | 寝るneru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 寝ますnemasu | |
| plain negative | 寝ないnenai | |
| polite negative | 寝ませんnemasen |
Past
過去形
What happened, or what has happened. The plain form is for friends and family; polite ～ました is the default.
| plain | 寝たneta | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 寝ましたnemashita | |
| plain negative | 寝なかったnenakatta | |
| polite negative | 寝ませんでしたnemasen deshita |
Te-form
て形
Joins actions and builds requests and permission. (nete imasu) means “is asleep” or “is in bed”.
| te-form | 寝てnete | |
|---|---|---|
| -te imasu (doing now) | 寝ていますnete imasu | |
| -te kudasai (please do) | 寝てくださいnete kudasai | |
| -te mo ii desu ka (may I) | 寝てもいいですかnete mo ii desu ka |
Volitional
意向形
Let's: the plain form between friends, ～ましょう in polite speech. ～ましょうか suggests (shall we?) or offers help (shall I?).
| plain (let's) | 寝ようneyō | |
|---|---|---|
| polite (let's) | 寝ましょうnemashō | |
| polite (shall we?) | 寝ましょうかnemashō ka |
Potential
可能形
Can sleep: (nerareru). Casual speech often drops the ら: (nereru).
| plain | 寝られるnerareru | |
|---|---|---|
| polite | 寝られますneraremasu | |
| plain negative | 寝られないnerarenai | |
| polite negative | 寝られませんneraremasen |
Conditional
条件形
If: ～ば for general conditions, ～たら for “if” and “when, once”, ～なければ for “if not”.
| -ba | 寝ればnereba | |
|---|---|---|
| -tara | 寝たらnetara | |
| -nakereba (if not) | 寝なければnenakereba |
Examples
- 毎晩十一時に寝ます。Maiban jūichiji ni nemasu.I go to bed at eleven every night.
- 昨日はよく寝られませんでした。Kinō wa yoku neraremasen deshita.I couldn't sleep well last night.
- 赤ちゃんが寝ています。Akachan ga nete imasu.The baby is sleeping.