催眠

• Pinyin: cuī mián
• Hanzi breakdown: 催 = 亻+ 崔 (to induce); 眠 = 目 + 民 (sleep)

Meaning

To hypnotize; hypnosis. The act or state of inducing a trance-like condition, or anything that causes sleepiness.

Used literally for hypnotherapy or stage hypnosis, and figuratively for anything that's boring enough to put you to sleep. 催眠曲 is a lullaby. Can be noun (hypnosis) or verb (to hypnotize).

Examples

1. 她接受了催眠治疗，帮助缓解焦虑症状。 She underwent hypnotherapy to help relieve anxiety symptoms.
2. 这个教授讲课太无聊了，简直是在催眠。 This professor's lectures are so boring — it's practically hypnosis.
3. 妈妈唱着催眠曲，宝宝渐渐睡着了。 Mom sang a lullaby, and the baby gradually fell asleep.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, entertainment, figurative

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 你相信催眠术吗？(Do you believe in hypnosis?)
• 这场讲座太催眠了。(This lecture is so sleep-inducing.)

Don't Say

• 咖啡很催眠 (Contradictory — coffee is a stimulant, not sleep-inducing)

Origin & History

Compound of 催 (to induce, urge) + 眠 (sleep). Literally 'inducing sleep,' describing the hypnotic state.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal