Key Facts
- Hangul: 낮잠; Revised Romanization: natjam
- Pronunciation: [nat-jjam]
- Part of speech: noun
- Origin: Native Korean (no hanja)
- Register: Neutral everyday word.
Nap in Korean: What Does 낮잠 Mean?
낮잠 means a nap, or sleep taken during the day. The register is neutral. It pairs naturally with 낮잠 시간 for nap time, 짧은 낮잠 for a short nap and 낮잠에서 깨다 for waking from one.
The word is a compound, and its two halves explain it: 낮 is daytime and 잠 is sleep. Its natural partner is 밤잠, night sleep. If you only want to talk about sleep in general, 잠 is enough.
How Do You Pronounce It?
The spelling is 낮잠, but the sound is [nat-jjam]. The final ㅈ of 낮 is not pronounced as a separate j. It closes as a t, [nat], and that t makes the next consonant tense, so ㅈ in 잠 becomes jj.
Aim for a short, closed first syllable and a firm, tight start to the second. Close the first syllable on t, hold that closure for a split second, then release a tight jjam with no breath of air.
Listen to the headword here.
Example Sentences with 낮잠
점심 후에 낮잠을 자요.
Jeomsim hue natjameul jayo.
I take a nap after lunch.
후에 means "after", and 자요 is the polite form of sleep. The sentence describes a regular habit of sleeping after lunch.
아이가 낮잠을 자고 있어요.
Aiga natjameul jago isseoyo.
The child is taking a nap.
자고 있어요 is the progressive, "is sleeping". The sentence gives a child as the sleeper, which fits the word's usual image.
낮잠을 자서 졸리지 않아요.
Natjameul jaseo jolliji anayo.
I am not sleepy because I took a nap.
자서 gives a reason: because I slept. 졸리지 않아요 means not sleepy, so the nap is the cause.
Common Phrases and Collocations
These phrases work as a set with the verb 자다 and with time words.
| Korean | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 낮잠을 자다 | to take a nap |
| 짧은 낮잠 | short nap |
| 낮잠 시간 | nap time |
| 낮잠에서 깨다 | to wake from a nap |
The Mistake to Avoid
- Wrong: Saying 낮잠을 해요.
- Correct: The verb is 자다, so say 낮잠을 자다. In speech 낮 is pronounced [nat] before the next consonant.
English learners reach for "do a nap" or "make a nap", and the Korean verb is simply sleep.
낮잠 Compared with 잠 and 밤잠
The comparison words show how big the idea is.
| Word | Meaning | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| 낮잠 | nap | Daytime sleep. |
| 잠 | sleep | Sleep in general. |
| 밤잠 | night sleep | Sleep at night; contrast with 낮잠. |
Where Does the Word Come From?
낮잠 is a native Korean compound of 낮, daytime, and 잠, sleep. No hanja are involved.
Keeping the House Quiet during Nap Time
Two family members are at home after lunch. One notices that the child is asleep and asks the other to keep the television quiet.
Mina
아이가 낮잠을 자요?
Aiga natjameul jayo?
Is the child taking a nap?
Jisu
네, 방금 잠들었어요.
Ne, banggeum jamdeureosseoyo.
Yes, they just fell asleep.
Mina
그럼 텔레비전 소리를 줄일게요.
Geureom tellebijeon sorireul jurilgeyo.
Then I’ll turn down the television.
Jisu
고마워요.
Gomawoyo.
Thank you.
방금 means “just now”, so the answer tells us when the nap began. The child is already sleeping; the question is not about a daily timetable. The decision to turn down the television follows from the sleeping child, without repeating 낮잠 in every line.
Which Phrases Describe the Beginning and End of a Nap?
낮잠을 자다 names the activity, while 낮잠에서 깨다 names waking from it. In the second phrase 에서 marks the state someone wakes out of. 잠들다 means to fall asleep, so it is useful when the point is the moment sleep begins rather than how long it lasts.
낮잠 시간 can mean a scheduled nap period. You may see it on a child's daily schedule or hear it when a family organizes the afternoon. The phrase names the time slot; it does not by itself say the child actually slept throughout it.
낮잠을 푹 자다 means to have a deep or sound nap. 푹 describes the quality of sleep. 짧은 낮잠 describes length instead. A short nap and a sound nap answer different questions, and neither phrase gives a fixed number of minutes.
Is Every Short Sleep a 낮잠?
낮잠 specifically points to daytime sleep. If someone briefly dozes on a late-night bus, 잠깐 자다, “sleep briefly”, may express the event more accurately. The English word “nap” puts weight on short duration, but 낮잠 keeps the daytime element visible.
졸다 means to doze or nod off, often while sitting or trying to stay awake. 낮잠을 자다 can describe deliberately lying down to rest. If a student nods off during class, 졸다 captures that situation better than assuming the student planned a nap.
Where Will You Hear the Word?
낮잠 appears in family conversations, childcare schedules and weekend plans. Adults use it too: the word does not mean “a child's sleep”. In a conversation after lunch, the speaker may be explaining why they missed a phone call or asking for a little quiet.
| Korean | Meaning | One useful distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 졸다 | to doze; nod off | Focuses on drifting into sleep. |
| 졸리다 | to be sleepy | Describes feeling sleepy before or without sleeping. |
| 잠들다 | to fall asleep | Names the start of sleep. |
| 깨다 | to wake up | Names the end of sleep in this context. |
| 늦잠 | sleeping late; oversleeping | Concerns waking late, rather than daytime sleep. |
The daily routine vocabulary lesson places sleep beside the rest of the day. Pay particular attention to 낮잠 versus 늦잠: their similar shapes hide different meanings. Someone can take a planned 낮잠 without having overslept at all.
Quick Self-Test
- Which verb completes 낮잠을 ___?
- Does 졸리다 mean that someone is already asleep?
- Which word means sleeping late: 낮잠 or 늦잠?
Show answers
- 자다, “to sleep”.
- No. It means they feel sleepy.
- 늦잠. 낮잠 is daytime sleep.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you say nap in Korean?
Say 낮잠 (natjam), pronounced [nat-jjam].
Which verb goes with 낮잠?
자다. The full pattern is 낮잠을 자다, to take a nap.
What does 낮 mean on its own?
It means daytime, and it appears in 낮잠.
What is sleep at night?
밤잠 is night sleep, the opposite of 낮잠.
Related Words and What to Learn Next
- Theme list: daily routine vocabulary. 낮잠 is part of the daily routine vocabulary list.
- Index: Korean words A to Z.
- Practice: add 낮잠 to the vocabulary flashcard decks.
- Next: the word for washing one's face. The list moves on to the word for washing one's face.