寝坊

ねぼう

sleeping in late

JLPT N4

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"寝坊" (ねぼう) means "sleeping in late" or "oversleeping." It is commonly used to describe the situation when someone wakes up later than intended, often causing them to be late for work, school, or appointments.

Common Contexts

This word is frequently used in everyday conversation, especially among students and workers. It carries a casual tone and is often paired with verbs like する (to do) to form 寝坊する (to oversleep).

Typical Collocations

  • 寝坊する: to oversleep
  • 寝坊して遅刻する: oversleep and be late
  • 寝坊しないように: so as not to oversleep

Register and Nuance

"寝坊" is informal and used in casual or neutral contexts. It is not typically used in very formal writing or speech.

Common Mistake

Learners sometimes confuse 寝坊 with just "sleeping" (寝る). Remember, 寝坊 specifically implies waking up late, not just sleeping.

Example Sentences

きょうはねぼうして、がっこうにちこくしました。

I overslept today and was late for school.

ねぼうしないように、めざましどけいをセットしました。

I set the alarm clock so I wouldn’t oversleep.

ねぼうはよくあることだから、あまりきにしないで。

Oversleeping happens often, so don’t worry too much about it.