NetChai Chinese

How to Say “Time for bed” in Chinese

该睡觉了
gāi shuìjiào le.
Time for bed · trad. 該睡覺了
An adult encourages a young child to prepare for sleep, illustrating “time for bed” in Chinese: 该睡觉了 (gāi shuìjiào le.)

该睡觉了 (gāi shuì jiào le) means "it's time for bed" or "it's time to sleep." It is a common phrase used as a nightly announcement, especially in family settings.

What does 该睡觉了 (gāi shuìjiào le.) mean?

该睡觉了 (gāi shuìjiào le.) means “time for bed” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “time to sleep.”

When to use it

Informal and direct. This phrase is frequently used by parents to tell children it's bedtime. For a more general "time to rest," you could say 该休息了 (gāi xiūxi le).

How to pronounce it

Sounds like "guy SHWAY jyaow luh." The first syllable has a high, flat tone, the next two are falling tones, and the last syllable is said lightly.

Other ways to say it

  • 该休息了gāi xiūxi le.time to rest
  • 该吃饭了gāi chīfàn le.time to eat
  • 该走了gāi zǒu le.time to go

Examples

孩子,该睡觉了。
háizi, gāi shuìjiào le.
Kids, it's time for bed.
你明天还要早起,该睡觉了。
nǐ míngtiān hái yào zǎoqǐ, gāi shuìjiào le.
You have to get up early tomorrow, it's time for bed.
妈妈说,该睡觉了。
māma shuō, gāi shuìjiào le.
Mom said it's time for bed.
Pro tip: The structure 该...了 (gāi...le) is a versatile way to say "it's time to..." or "it's time for..." by inserting a verb or verb phrase in the middle.

Related phrases

穿鞋 · Put on your shoes戴上帽子 · Put on your hat外面很冷 · It's cold outside
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