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 すけ suffix appears in other character-describing words like 甘(あま)えんぼうすけ.

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)

Register

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 2026.9.2 13:02
21500/21649_nebousuke