How to Say ‘A bit short on sleep’ in Japanese
ちょっと寝不足気味
chotto ne busoku gimi
[choht-toh neh FOO-soh-koo GEE-mee]
💬 Usage Tip: 気味 (gimi) after a noun means "a touch of": 風邪気味 (kaze-gimi) "a slight cold".
Phrase Breakdown
ちょっと
chotto
[choht-toh]
a little; kind of
Often used to soften what you say, like 'a little' or 'kind of.'
今日はちょっと悲しいです。
I'm a little sad today.
寝
ne
[neh]
sleep
Stem of 寝る, 'to sleep; to lie down'.
早く寝てください。
Please go to sleep early.
不足
busoku
[FOO-soh-koo]
lack; shortage
Not enough of something; with 寝 it means lack of sleep.
運動不足です。
I don't get enough exercise.
気味
gimi
[GEE-mee]
slightly; a touch of
Suffix meaning a tendency or slight sign of a condition.
風邪気味です。
I have a bit of a cold.
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