count sheep
To attempt to go to sleep by thinking of something boring, traditionally by counting…To attempt to go to sleep by thinking of something boring, traditionally by counting imaginary sheep.
» Counting sheep helps you fall asleep.
Schafe zählen hilft beim Einschlafen.
Meaning
1 senses(idiomatic)To attempt to go to sleep by thinking of something boring, traditionally by counting imaginary sheep.
Schäfchen zählen
Examples
16 sentencesCounting sheep helps you fall asleep.
deSchafe zählen hilft beim Einschlafen. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
If you can't sleep, try counting sheep.
ruЕсли не можешь заснуть, попробуй считать овец. — Wezel
Tom closed his eyes and began to count sheep.
ruТом закрыл глаза и стал считать овец. — marafon
deTom schloss die Augen und begann Schafe zu zählen. — raggione
I tried counting sheep.
deIch versuchte, Schafe zu zählen. — Naina
I was counting the sheep.
Translations
3 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
See count and sheep. Stories of counting sheep to sleep extend back to at least as early aSee count and sheep. Stories of counting sheep to sleep extend back to at least as early as 12th-century Spain and 13th-century Italy from prior Arab stories.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
counts sheep, counting sheep, counted sheep, counted sheep| Base form | count sheep · to count sheep |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | counts sheep |
| Present participle | counting sheep |
| Past simple | counted sheep |
| Past participle | counted sheep |
irregular
Lessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle