How to Say ‘I can't sleep.’ in Japanese
寝られないんです。
ne rare nai n desu
[neh rah-REH nai n dess]
💬 Usage Tip: Ending with んです presents this as an explanation of your situation, like "the thing is, I can't sleep". That sounds softer than a flat statement.
Phrase Breakdown
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.
られ
rare
[rah-REH]
can (potential form)
Potential ending attached to ichidan verbs, meaning 'be able to'.
朝早く起きられます。
I can get up early in the morning.
ない
nai
[nai]
not
Indicates negation or absence.
問題はない。
There is no problem.
ん
n
[n]
(explanatory n)
Casual form of の; adds a tone of seeking or giving an explanation, often before です.
どうしたんですか。
What happened?
です
desu
[dess]
is; polite copula
A polite sentence ending used in formal conversation.
少し伺いたいです。
I would like to ask a little.
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