寝る vs 横になる
Japanese word comparison
Listen to 寝る
Listen to 横になる
| 寝る | 横になる |
|---|---|
NE-ru verb (ru-verb, intransitive) | よこになる verb (ru-verb, intransitive) |
| to sleep; to go to bed | to lie down; to lie on one's side or back |
How they differ
横になる literally means 'to lie down' and focuses on posture (lying down) rather than actually sleeping; 寝る can imply sleeping or going to bed, while 横になる may not imply sleep at all.
When to use each
When to use 寝る: Use 寝る when you mean to sleep or go to bed.
When to use 横になる: Use 横になる when you want to say someone is lying down to rest, nap, or change posture without necessarily sleeping.
Side-by-side examples
- 旅行で疲れて早く寝た。
(I was tired from the trip and went to bed early.) - ちょっと横になるね。
(I'm going to lie down for a bit.)
Register & nuance: Neutral and conversational; commonly used in speech to indicate lying down rather than formal writing.