寝坊助(ねぼうすけ)

ねぼうすけ
noun
sleepyhead; late riser
informalpersondaily-life
1. sleepyhead; late riser; slugabed
A person who oversleeps or has difficulty waking up. Used affectionately or teasingly, especially toward children or close friends.
この寝坊助(ねぼうすけ)、早(はや)く起(お)きなさい！
Wake up already, you sleepyhead!
弟(おとうと)は寝坊助(ねぼうすけ)で、毎朝(まいあさ)母(はは)に起(お)こされている。
My little brother is a sleepyhead and gets woken up by our mother every morning.
子(こ)どもの頃(ころ)は寝坊助(ねぼうすけ)だったが、社会人(しゃかいじん)になってからは自然(しぜん)と早起(はやお)きになった。
I was a sleepyhead as a child, but I naturally became an early riser after I started working.

Compound of 寝坊(ねぼう) (oversleeping) + すけ (a suffix used to characterize a person, often with a playful or teasing tone). The same suffix, written 助(すけ), appears in other teasing labels such as 飲(の)み助(すけ) (heavy drinker) and ちび助(すけ) (little one).

Common collocations

  • 寝坊助(ねぼうすけ)を起(お)こす: to wake up a sleepyhead
  • この寝坊助(ねぼうすけ): you sleepyhead (affectionate scolding)

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Mostly informal and affectionate. Commonly used by parents addressing children or among close friends. Not used in formal or business contexts.

Similar words

Related Words

Compare: 朝寝坊(あさねぼう) (sleeping in, morning oversleeping)
general
Added 2026.4.3 5:19 · Revised 2026.10.9 16:34
21500/21649_nebousuke