shuìbuzháo: 睡不着 - Can't Sleep, Unable to Fall Asleep

• Keywords: 睡不着, shuì bu zháo, can't sleep in Chinese, how to say insomnia in Chinese, Chinese phrase for unable to sleep, what does shuibuzhao mean, Mandarin for insomnia, potential complement, Chinese grammar
• Summary: Learn how to say “can't sleep” in Chinese with the common and essential phrase 睡不着 (shuì bu zháo). This guide breaks down the meaning of this term, exploring its characters, cultural context, and practical usage in everyday conversation. Discover the crucial grammar behind 睡不着 and how it differs from simply “not sleeping”, and master its use with 10 real-world example sentences.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): shuì bu zháo
• Part of Speech: Verb Phrase (Verb + Potential Complement)
• HSK Level: HSK 3
• Concise Definition: To be unable to fall asleep (despite wanting or trying to).
• In a Nutshell: 睡不着 (shuì bu zháo) isn't just about being awake; it captures the specific frustration of trying to sleep but being unable to achieve the result of falling asleep. It describes the state of tossing and turning, where your mind is too active or you're too worried to drift off. It's the feeling, not just the action.

• 睡 (shuì): To sleep. The radical is 目 (mù), meaning “eye,” combined with 垂 (chuí), which means “to droop” or “hang down.” Together, they paint a vivid picture of drooping eyelids, the very image of sleepiness.
• 不 (bù): A negative particle meaning “no” or “not.” It negates the possibility of the action's result.
• 着 (zháo): This is the key character. Here, it acts as a resultative complement, indicating the successful completion or attainment of an action. So, 睡着 (shuì zháo) means “to succeed in sleeping,” or more naturally, “to fall asleep.”

Putting them together, 睡-不-着 (shuì-bu-zháo) literally means “sleep-not-succeed.” This “Verb-不-Result” structure is a fundamental pattern in Chinese for expressing the inability to achieve a desired outcome.

While the inability to sleep is a universal human experience, discussing 睡不着 (shuì bu zháo) is a very common way to express underlying stress or anxiety in modern China. In a culture that often values stoicism, complaining about being unable to sleep can be a socially acceptable way to hint at deeper worries without having to state them directly. It's often linked to:

• Academic Pressure: Students studying for the grueling gaokao (college entrance exam) frequently talk about being so stressed they 睡不着.
• Work Pressure: The demanding work culture, sometimes called “996” (9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week), is a major source of stress that leads to many professionals complaining they 睡不着.
• Personal Worries: Concerns about family, finances, or relationships are common triggers.

Comparison to Western Concepts: In English, we might say “I can't sleep” in a casual context. If the problem is chronic, we might say “I have insomnia.” Chinese makes a similar distinction.

• 睡不着 (shuì bu zháo): This is the common, everyday complaint, just like “I can't sleep.” It describes the feeling and the immediate experience.
• 失眠 (shīmián): This is the more formal, medical term, equivalent to “insomnia.” You would see 失眠 on a medical chart or use it when discussing a chronic condition with a doctor.

So, while you might tell a friend “我昨晚又睡不着了” (I couldn't sleep again last night), you would tell a doctor “我有失眠的问题” (I have an insomnia problem).

This phrase is extremely common in informal, daily conversation.

• Expressing a Complaint: It's the most direct way to tell someone you had a bad night's sleep. It immediately elicits sympathy.
• Signaling Worry: When someone says they 睡不着, the natural follow-up question is “Why? What are you thinking about?” It's an invitation to share one's worries.
• Social Media Updates: It is very common to see young people post “睡不着” on WeChat Moments or Weibo late at night. It's a way to say “I'm awake and feeling restless/thoughtful, is anyone else up?”

The connotation is generally negative, as it describes a state of discomfort and frustration. It is almost exclusively used in informal settings.

• Example 1:
  • 我昨晚睡不着，今天头很疼。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuówǎn shuì bu zháo, jīntiān tóu hěn téng.
  • English: I couldn't sleep last night, so I have a bad headache today.
  • Analysis: A simple, direct statement connecting the cause (can't sleep) with the effect (headache).
• Example 2:
  • 你为什么睡不着？是在担心什么吗？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ wèishéme shuì bu zháo? Shì zài dānxīn shénme ma?
  • English: Why can't you sleep? Are you worried about something?
  • Analysis: A typical response to someone who says they can't sleep, showing concern and probing for the reason.
• Example 3:
  • 楼下的邻居太吵了，吵得我睡不着。
  • Pinyin: Lóuxià de línjū tài chǎo le, chǎo de wǒ shuì bu zháo.
  • English: The downstairs neighbors are too loud; their noise is keeping me from falling asleep.
  • Analysis: This example shows an external reason for being unable to sleep. The structure “吵得我 (chǎo de wǒ)…” means “so noisy that it makes me…”
• Example 4:
  • 喝了太多咖啡，我感觉今天晚上会睡不着。
  • Pinyin: Hē le tài duō kāfēi, wǒ gǎnjué jīntiān wǎnshang huì shuì bu zháo.
  • English: I drank too much coffee, I feel like I won't be able to sleep tonight.
  • Analysis: Using 会 (huì) to predict a future inability to sleep based on a present action.
• Example 5:
  • A: 你看起来很累。 B: 是啊，我最近总是睡不着。
  • Pinyin: A: Nǐ kànqǐlái hěn lèi. B: Shì a, wǒ zuìjìn zǒngshì shuì bu zháo.
  • English: A: You look tired. B: Yeah, I'm always unable to sleep recently.
  • Analysis: Demonstrates how 睡不着 can describe a recurring, recent problem, not just a one-time event.
• Example 6:
  • 一想到明天的面试，我就紧张得睡不着。
  • Pinyin: Yī xiǎngdào míngtiān de miànshì, wǒ jiù jǐnzhāng de shuì bu zháo.
  • English: As soon as I think about tomorrow's interview, I get too nervous to sleep.
  • Analysis: The “一…就…” (yī…jiù…) pattern means “as soon as… then…” It perfectly links the cause (thinking about the interview) to the immediate result (nervous and unable to sleep).
• Example 7:
  • 宝宝好像不舒服，哭了一晚上，我整夜都没睡着。
  • Pinyin: Bǎobao hǎoxiàng bù shūfu, kū le yī wǎnshang, wǒ zhěngyè dōu méi shuì zháo.
  • English: The baby seems uncomfortable, he cried all night, so I didn't get to sleep at all.
  • Analysis: This uses the past-tense negative form 没睡着 (méi shuì zháo), which means “didn't fall asleep.” It emphasizes the final outcome of the entire night.
• Example 8:
  • 他心里有事，所以睡不着觉。
  • Pinyin: Tā xīnli yǒushì, suǒyǐ shuì bu zháo jué.
  • English: He has something on his mind, so he can't get to sleep.
  • Analysis: Note the addition of 觉 (jiào) at the end. 睡不着觉 is a very common variation of 睡不着, and they are interchangeable.
• Example 9:
  • 如果你睡不着，可以试试听点轻音乐。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ shuì bu zháo, kěyǐ shìshi tīng diǎn qīngyīnyuè.
  • English: If you can't sleep, you can try listening to some light music.
  • Analysis: Used in a conditional “if…then” sentence to offer advice.
• Example 10:
  • 我不是睡不着，我只是不想睡。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ búshì shuì bu zháo, wǒ zhǐshì bù xiǎng shuì.
  • English: It's not that I can't sleep, I just don't want to sleep.
  • Analysis: This sentence perfectly highlights the core nuance by directly contrasting 睡不着 (inability) with 不想睡 (unwillingness).

The most critical mistake for learners is confusing the inability to do something with the simple negation of doing it.

• `睡不着 (shuì bu zháo)` vs. `不睡觉 (bú shuìjiào)`
  • 睡不着 (shuì bu zháo): Inability. You are trying, or at least you want to, but you cannot succeed in falling asleep.
    • Correct: 我很累，但是我睡不着。(Wǒ hěn lèi, dànshì wǒ shuì bu zháo.) - I'm very tired, but I can't fall asleep.
  • 不睡觉 (bú shuìjiào): Choice or a general statement. You are not sleeping, likely because you are choosing to do something else.
    • Correct: 他晚上不睡觉，总是在玩手机。(Tā wǎnshang bú shuìjiào, zǒngshì zài wán shǒujī.) - He doesn't sleep at night; he's always playing on his phone.
    • Incorrect: 我很累，但是我不睡觉。 (This sounds strange, like you are choosing to stay awake despite being tired, which is illogical without further explanation.)
• `睡不着 (shuì bu zháo)` vs. `没睡着 (méi shuì zháo)`
  • 睡不着 (shuì bu zháo): Describes the ongoing state of being unable to fall asleep. It's the process.
    • Example: “It's 3 AM and I can't sleep (我现在还睡不着).”
  • 没睡着 (méi shuì zháo): The negative result in the past. It describes the final outcome after the attempt is over.
    • Example: “I tried for hours, but in the end, I didn't fall asleep (我最后还是没睡着).”

• 失眠 (shīmián) - The formal, medical term for “insomnia.” More clinical and serious than 睡不着.
• 睡着 (shuì zháo) - The antonym; to successfully fall asleep.
• 睡觉 (shuìjiào) - The general verb “to sleep” or “to go to bed.” It describes the action itself, not the success or failure of it.
• 熬夜 (áoyè) - To stay up late on purpose; to pull an all-nighter. This is a choice, whereas 睡不着 is an inability.
• 做梦 (zuòmèng) - To dream. An activity that happens during sleep.
• 打瞌睡 (dǎ kēshuì) - To doze off or nod off, especially when you're not supposed to be sleeping (e.g., in class or a meeting).
• 压力 (yālì) - Stress, pressure. A very common reason people 睡不着.
• 担心 (dānxīn) - To worry. Another primary cause of 睡不着.
• 睡过头 (shuì guò tóu) - To oversleep. The opposite problem of 睡不着.