Definition

1. Intransitive verb:
   • To sleep deeply, to sleep soundly: "ngủ mê" describes a state of very deep, heavy sleep from which one is difficult to awaken.
   • To dream (while sleeping): "ngủ mê" can also refer to the act of dreaming during sleep.

Usage Examples

• Intransitive verb:
  • Anh ấy ngủ mê đến nỗi không nghe thấy tiếng chuông báo thức. (He was sleeping so soundly that he didn't hear the alarm clock.)
  • Đêm qua tôi ngủ mê và có một giấc mơ rất kỳ lạ. (Last night I slept deeply and had a very strange dream.)
  • Đứa trẻ ngủ mê trên vai mẹ sau một ngày dài chơi đùa. (The child slept soundly on his mother's shoulder after a long day of playing.)

Advanced Usage

• "ngủ mê ngủ mệt": This is a common reduplicative phrase that emphasizes a state of extremely deep and exhausted sleep.
  • Làm việc cả ngày, tối về anh ấy ngủ mê ngủ mệt. (After working all day, he slept like a log at night.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mê ngủ (verb phrase): This is a less common variant with the same meaning as "ngủ mê", emphasizing being "lost" in sleep.
• Ngủ say (verb phrase): A direct synonym meaning to sleep deeply/soundly.
• Ngủ (verb): The base verb meaning "to sleep".
• Mơ/Nằm mơ (verb): To dream. While "ngủ mê" can imply dreaming, "mơ" specifically means to dream.

Synonyms

• Ngủ say: to sleep soundly.
• Ngủ sâu: to sleep deeply.
• Ngủ như chết: (idiomatic) to sleep like the dead.

Notes on Different Meanings

The word "ngủ mê" carries two primary meanings that are often context-dependent: 1. The primary and most common meaning is sleeping deeply/soundly. The focus is on the depth of sleep, not the content of dreams. 2. The secondary meaning is dreaming during sleep. This meaning comes from the component "mê" (to be entranced, absorbed) and is related to the state of being in a dream. In modern usage, this meaning is less frequent than the first, and "nằm mơ" or "mơ" is more commonly used specifically for "to dream".

1. Dream
2. Sleep soundly, sleep like a log (tops)