German Sleep & Tiredness Vocabulary
This set covers the language of sleep itself: not just schlafen but the states around it, from wach (awake) to erschöpft (exhausted) to the dreams in between with träumen and der Albtraum. One trap for English speakers: German splits "wake up" into two different verbs depending on who's doing it. Wecken means to wake someone else up, while aufwachen means you wake up on your own. Mix them up and you'll say you woke your alarm clock instead of the other way around.
Learn these 16 words
Spaced-repetition flashcards, straight in your browser. No sign-up, no install — the same review ladder Anki uses, on the words above.
All 16 words
- müdeA1
tired
Ich bin müde. Ich gehe schlafen. — I'm tired. I'm going to sleep.
to fall asleep
Er kann abends schwer einschlafen. — He has trouble falling asleep at night.
- träumenA2
dream
Ich träume von einem großen Haus mit Garten. — I dream of a big house with a garden.
- wachA2
awake
Bist du schon lange wach? — Have you been awake for a long time?
- weckenA2
wake up
Bitte wecken Sie mich morgen früh um fünf. — Please wake me up tomorrow morning at five.
plural: die Albträume
nightmare
Ich hatte letzte Nacht einen Albtraum. — I had a nightmare last night.
wake up
Von dem Lärm bin ich aufgewacht. — I woke up from the noise.
- erholenB1
recover, rest
Im Urlaub habe ich mich sehr gut erholt. — I recovered very well during vacation.
exhausted
Nach der Reise war ich völlig erschöpft. — After the trip I was completely exhausted.
plural: die Nickerchen
nap
Am Nachmittag mache ich ein Nickerchen. — In the afternoon I take a nap.
plural: die Schlafe
sleep
Das Kind macht jeden Tag nach dem Mittagessen einen kurzen Schlaf. — The child takes a short nap every day after lunch.
to snore
Mein Bruder schnarcht sehr laut. — My brother snores very loudly.
plural: die Entspannungen
relaxation / easing
Yoga bringt Entspannung und Ruhe. — Yoga brings relaxation and peace.
tiredness
Nach der langen Reise überwältigte ihn die Müdigkeit. — After the long journey, tiredness overwhelmed him.
- ratzenB2
to kip = sleep in a place that isn't your home
Die Obdachlosen ratzen unter der Brücke. — The homeless sleep under the bridge.
languor / weariness = the state or feeling, often pleasant, of tiredness or inertia
Nach dem langen Wandern überkam ihn tiefe Mattigkeit. — After the long hike, deep languor overcame him.
How to learn this set
Notice the separable prefixes doing real work here: einschlafen (fall asleep, in-) and aufwachen (wake up, up-) both attach to a base verb and change meaning depending on the prefix, so drill them in full sentences, not as isolated infinitives, to keep the word order straight when the prefix jumps to the end. The nouns split three ways by gender with no obvious pattern (der Schlaf, die Müdigkeit, das Nickerchen), so learn each with its article from day one rather than guessing later. Also pin down the difference between die Müdigkeit (plain tiredness) and die Mattigkeit (a heavier, almost pleasant weariness) since English only gives you one word for both.
More Body & Health word packs
Frequently asked questions
Is der Schlaf masculine in German?
Yes, der Schlaf is masculine, and it stays masculine in compounds like der Schlafanzug (pajamas). Its verb form schlafen (to sleep) drops the noun ending but keeps the same root.
What is the difference between einschlafen and aufwachen?
Einschlafen means to fall asleep, the moment you drift off, while aufwachen means to wake up, the moment you come to. Both are separable verbs: Ich schlafe schnell ein / Ich wache früh auf.
What does ratzen mean in German?
Ratzen is slang for crashing somewhere that isn't your own bed, like on a friend's couch. It's casual and mostly spoken, so save it for informal contexts, not emails or exams.
Other popular word packs
Free to start · no credit card
Words fade fast — spaced reviews make them stick.
Based on Dr. Hermann Ebbinghaus · memory science, proven since 1885