sleepyhead / nightcap
die Schlafmütze, die Schlafmützen
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sleepyhead
A person who reacts slowly, seems inattentive, or often oversleeps; the term is usually used jokingly or with mild disapproval.
Du Schlafmütze, ohne Wecker wärst du heute wieder zu spät gekommen.
You sleepyhead, without an alarm clock you would have been late again today.
nightcap
A hat usually made of soft fabric that people used to wear, and sometimes still wear, while sleeping.
Der alte Mann setzte seine Schlafmütze auf, bevor er zu Bett ging.
The old man put on his nightcap before going to bed.
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Schlafmützen |
| genitive | der Schlafmütze |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Schlafmütze | die Schlafmützen |
| accusative | die Schlafmütze | die Schlafmützen |
| dative | der Schlafmütze | den Schlafmützen |
| genitive | der Schlafmütze | der Schlafmützen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
'Schlafmütze' (sleepyhead / nightcap) is made up of 'Schlaf' (sleep) and 'Mütze' (cap). The compound explains both meanings: it can refer to a cap worn for sleeping or, figuratively, to a person who is slow or inattentive.
Auf dem alten Foto trägt der Junge eine Schlafmütze.
In the old photo, the boy is wearing a nightcap.
You can often recognize the meaning from the sentence structure: when used as a direct address or with verbs such as 'reagieren' (to react) and 'verschlafen' (to oversleep), 'Schlafmütze' (sleepyhead) refers to a person; with verbs such as 'aufsetzen' (to put on) or 'tragen' (to wear), it refers to a piece of clothing.
Du Schlafmütze, warum reagierst du heute so langsam?
You sleepyhead, why are you reacting so slowly today?
Vor dem Schlafengehen setzte er seine Schlafmütze auf.
Before going to bed, he put on his nightcap.
When it refers to a person, 'Schlafmütze' (sleepyhead) is often used as a direct address, frequently together with 'du' (you) and an exclamation mark. This usually makes the term sound playful, though depending on the tone, it can also sound mildly reproachful.
Du Schlafmütze, der Bus fährt schon in fünf Minuten!
You sleepyhead, the bus leaves in just five minutes!
For the meaning referring to headwear, common collocations include 'aufsetzen' (to put on), 'tragen' (to wear), and 'abnehmen' (to take off). These verbs show that 'Schlafmütze' (nightcap) refers to a concrete object here.
Im Winter trug sie im Bett eine warme Schlafmütze.
In winter, she wore a warm nightcap in bed.
