1.
afternoon nap; daytime nap
A nap taken during the day, typically in the afternoon. The お prefix adds politeness or softness, and the word is especially associated with children's naptime.
赤ちゃんがお昼寝している。
The baby is taking a nap.
日曜日はお昼寝するのが楽しみだ。
I look forward to taking a nap on Sundays.
保育園では、お昼ご飯の後にお昼寝の時間がある。
At daycare, there is naptime after lunch.
The polite prefix お makes this word softer and more colloquial than the plain form 昼寝. It is especially common when talking about children's naps (at daycare, kindergarten, etc.) and in casual adult conversation about taking a relaxing daytime rest.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- お昼寝する: to take a nap
- お昼寝の時間: naptime
- お昼寝から起きる: to wake up from a nap
- お昼寝させる: to put someone down for a nap
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 昼寝: daytime nap — the plain form without お; used in neutral or written contexts
- 仮眠: short sleep; power nap — more formal; used for brief strategic rest, often at work
- うたた寝: dozing off; nodding off — falling asleep unintentionally
CULTURAL NOTE:
In Japan, 保育園 (daycare) typically has a scheduled お昼寝 period for young children. The concept of short naps at work (昼寝) has also been gaining acceptance, with some companies introducing nap rooms.