How do you use "Forty winks" in a sentence?

Just going to catch forty winks before dinner. Dad's having forty winks in the armchair. I could do with forty winks.

Forty winks

Q: What does "Forty winks" mean?

A short nap. A brief daytime sleep—the 'forty' is just a conventional number suggesting a short amount of time (or perhaps forty blinks/winks of the eyes).

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: A short nap.

打个盹儿。

Una siesta corta.

短い昼寝。

짧은 낮잠.

A brief daytime sleep—the 'forty' is just a conventional number suggesting a short amount of time (or perhaps forty blinks/winks of the eyes).

白天的短暂睡眠——'四十'只是一个表示短时间的习惯用数（也许是眨四十下眼的意思）。

Un breve sueño durante el día—el 'cuarenta' es solo un número convencional que sugiere un corto período de tiempo (o quizás cuarenta parpadeos).

短い日中の睡眠。「40」は短い時間を表す慣用的な数字（あるいは40回のまばたきかもしれない）。

짧은 낮잠. 'forty'는 짧은 시간을 나타내는 관용적 숫자로, 눈 깜빡임 40번 정도의 시간을 뜻한다.

Literal meaning: Forty closing of the eyes (blinks)

Examples

Just going to catch forty winks before dinner.
晚饭前打个盹儿
Voy a echar una cabezadita antes de cenar
夕食前にちょっとうたた寝するよ
저녁 먹기 전에 잠깐 눈 좀 붙일게.
Dad's having forty winks in the armchair.
爸爸在扶手椅上打盹儿呢
Papá está echando una cabezadita en el sillón
お父さんは肘掛け椅子でうたた寝している
아빠가 안락의자에서 깜빡 졸고 계셔.
I could do with forty winks.
我想打个盹儿
Me vendría bien una cabezadita
ちょっとうたた寝したいな
잠깐 눈 좀 붙이고 싶다.

Pronunciation

/ˈfɔːti wɪŋks/

Usage Guide

Context: nap, short sleep, daytime

Tone: light, casual

✓ Do Say

Having forty winks.
在打盹儿
Echando una cabezadita
うたた寝している
잠깐 졸고 있어.
Catch forty winks.
打个盹儿
Echar una cabezadita
うたた寝する
눈 좀 붙여.
Just forty winks.
就打个盹儿
Solo una cabezadita
ちょっとうたた寝
잠깐만 졸게.

✗ Don't Say

Taking a nap
Taking a nap（普通说法）
Taking a nap（expresión estándar）
Taking a nap（普通の表現）
낮잠을 자다
Having a rest
Having a rest（普通说法）
Having a rest（expresión estándar）
Having a rest（普通の表現）
쉬고 있다

Common Mistakes

Always forty—not ten winks or twenty winks
Implies a brief nap, not long sleep

Origin & History

Possibly from the conventional use of 'forty' to mean a moderate number.

Etymology: English idiom

First recorded: 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common idiom; British culture

Regional notes: Common throughout English-speaking world.

Variations

Forty winksCatch forty winksHave forty winks