The Meaning of nedai [寝台] In Japanese

寝台
ねだい
Romaji: nedai N5

What does 寝台 mean?

Translation and Meaning

bed, sleeping surface, bedstead

Definition

What does 寝台 mean? It denotes a bed or sleeping surface used for resting, including the bed frame or platform on which a person lies down.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • bed or sleeping surface used for sleeping
  • bed frame or bedstead
  • in compounds such as 寝台車 (nedai-ressha) or 寝台列車 (nedai-ressha), the sleeping accommodations on transport

Etymology

寝 sleeping, 台 platform; combined meaning a sleeping surface

Composition

  • 寝: sleep
  • 台: platform
  • 寝台: a sleeping surface or bed platform

Usage

Used in formal, technical, and literary contexts to refer to a bed or sleeping surface; in everyday speech, the loanword ベッド is more common. It appears in travel and product descriptions to denote sleeper accommodations and in transport terms such as 寝台車 and 寝台列車.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine 寝 as a person sleeping under a roof and 台 as a platform; together they form a sleeping surface—the idea of a bed supported by a platform helps recall the meaning.

Variations

  • ベッド (beddo) — bed
  • 寝床 (nedoko) — sleeping place
  • 布団 (futon) — bedding

Words with the same Kanji

Words with the same Meaning

Example Phrases

  • 病院の 寝台 で 患者 は 静かに 眠りについた。
    Byōin no nedai de kanja wa shizuka ni nemuri ni tsuita.
    A patient fell asleep quietly on the hospital bed.
    Lista:
    • 病院の (Byōin no) – hospital’s
    • 寝台 (nedai) – bed
    • で (de) – at
    • 患者 (kanja) – patient
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 静かに (shizuka ni) – quietly
    • 眠りについた (nemuri ni tsuita) – fell asleep
    Notes the target word 「寝台」 meaning bed/sleeping surface; here it marks the hospital bed on which the patient falls asleep.
寝台