Translation guide
How to express 'put to sleep' in Japanese, covering literal sleep, euthanasia, and idiomatic uses.
To make a person or animal go to sleep, e.g., a child or pet.
Commonly used for putting a child or baby to sleep, implying soothing or lulling them.
赤ちゃんを寝かしつけるのに一時間かかった。
It took an hour to put the baby to sleep.
General term for putting someone to bed or laying them down to sleep.
子供を早く寝かせたほうがいい。
You should put the kids to sleep early.
To make someone sleep, often used in a more literal or medical sense.
薬で患者を眠らせた。
They put the patient to sleep with medication.
To put an animal to death humanely, often by a veterinarian.
Standard term for euthanizing an animal, literally 'to give a peaceful death'.
老犬を安楽死させる決断をした。
We made the decision to put the old dog to sleep.
Used in administrative or shelter contexts for culling animals; can sound harsh.
This term can sound bureaucratic or insensitive in personal contexts.
その施設では多くの犬が殺処分されている。
Many dogs are put to sleep at that facility.
To anesthetize a person or animal before a medical procedure.
Standard medical phrase meaning 'to administer anesthesia'.
手術の前に全身麻酔をかけます。
We will put you to sleep with general anesthesia before the surgery.
Can be used in medical contexts, but less precise than 麻酔をかける.
歯医者で眠らせて治療してもらった。
I was put to sleep for treatment at the dentist.
To cause someone to fall asleep due to boredom, e.g., a dull lecture.
Literally 'to make sleepy', used for things that induce drowsiness.
彼の話はいつも私を眠くさせる。
His stories always put me to sleep.
Explicitly states boredom as the cause of sleep.
その映画は退屈で観客を眠らせた。
The movie was so boring it put the audience to sleep.
The English phrase 'put to sleep' is idiomatic. Direct translations like 寝るに置く (neru ni oku) are nonsensical. Always use the appropriate Japanese expression for the context.
寝かせる is simply laying someone down to sleep, while 寝かしつける implies active effort to soothe or lull, especially with children.