yǎn

魇

Character · VerbTraditional魘

nightmare; talk in sleep

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 5 examples
1.

verb

to have a nightmare; to experience sleep paralysis

Commonly used in the phrase 魇住了 to describe being paralyzed or unable to move while experiencing a nightmare.

Zuó昨
wǎn晚
wǒ我
yǎn魇
zhù住
le了
 ，
dòng动
tan弹
bù不
dé得
 。

Last night I had sleep paralysis and couldn't move.

Tā他
bèi被
yǎn魇
zhù住
le了
 ，
mǎn满
tóu头
dà大
hàn汗
de地
xǐng醒
lái来
 。

He was caught in a nightmare and woke up covered in sweat.

Show 1 more example
Lǎo老
rén人
shuō说
 ，
zhè这
shì是
bèi被
yǎn魇
zhù住
le了
 ，
yào要
jiào叫
hún魂
cái才
xíng行
 。

The elderly said this was being haunted by a nightmare, and one must call back the soul.

2.

verb

to talk in one's sleep; to speak while dreaming

dialect

Regional or dialectal usage, less common than the standard term 说梦话.

Tā他
wǎn晚
shang上
shuì睡
jiào觉
lǎo老
shì是
yǎn魇
 ，
bù不
zhī知
dào道
zài在
shuō说
shén什
me么
 。

He always talks in his sleep at night; who knows what he's saying.

Zhè这
hái孩
zi子
yǎn魇
de得
lì厉
hai害
 ，
zuó昨
wǎn晚
shuō说
le了
yī一
xiǔ宿
 。

This child talks in his sleep a lot; he went on all last night.