German · Everyday Verbs
"to sleep" in German: schlafen
schlafen
To sleep in German is schlafen. Say Ich schlafe or Sie schläft schon. Past is ich habe geschlafen. Ausschlafen means to sleep in.
Night routine
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How to pronounce schlafen
Say it
SHLAH-fen
/ˈʃlaːfn̩/
SHLAH-fen. Long ah. Soft -en.
"to sleep" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| schlafen | to sleep Core verb. | Core verb. |
| ich schlafe / du schläfst / er schläft | I/you/he sleep(s) Present with vowel change in du/er. | Present with vowel change in du/er. |
| geschlafen | slept Past participle with haben. | Past participle with haben. |
| ausschlafen | to sleep in Weekend favorite. | Weekend favorite. |
How to use schlafen in real life
- 1Night routine
Ich schlafe meistens um elf.
I usually sleep at eleven.
Ich schlafe + time.
- 2Quiet house
Das Baby schläft endlich.
The baby is finally sleeping.
Schläft is the er/sie/es form.
- 3Morning chat
Hast du gut geschlafen?
Did you sleep well?
Perfect tense with haben.
Mistakes English speakers make with schlafen
Incorrect: Ich schlafe gut gestern.
Correct: Ich habe gestern gut geschlafen.
Past sleep uses the perfect: habe geschlafen.
Incorrect: Er schlaft noch.
Correct: Er schläft noch.
Third person is schläft with ä.
Good to know
Germans value quiet hours, Ruhezeiten, so loud neighbors after 10 p.m. can get complaints. Asking Hast du gut geschlafen? is a normal morning greeting at home, not only after illness.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
A quiet evening before an early train
ChatPal
Du solltest bald schlafen. Der Zug geht um sechs.
You should sleep soon. The train leaves at six.
You
Ich schlafe gleich. Nur noch eine Folge.
I'll sleep in a moment. Just one more episode.
ChatPal
Eine. Sonst schläfst du im Zug ein.
One. Otherwise you'll fall asleep on the train.
You
Okay, okay. Gute Nacht.
Okay, okay. Good night.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to sleep" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to sleep" in German
How do you conjugate schlafen?
Ich schlafe, du schläfst, er/sie/es schläft, wir schlafen, ihr schlaft, sie schlafen.
How do you say I slept well?
Ich habe gut geschlafen.
What is ausschlafen?
To sleep until you are rested; to sleep in.
How do you say fall asleep?
Einschlafen.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
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- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
