睡着
shuìzháo · HSK 4
asleep
😴 睡着 = 睡 sleep + 着 attached/succeed → sleep-achieved = asleep
着 (zháo) here marks a successful result of the verb, like English 'off' in 'nod off'. So 睡着 literally means sleep-succeeded: you actually fell asleep, not just lay down trying.
睡 — eye 目 + drooping 垂
睡 is a semantic compound: 目 (eye) signals the meaning, while 垂 (to droop, hang down) suggests eyelids falling. Together they depict drooping eyelids, i.e. dozing off. The original sense was nodding off while sitting; it later broadened to mean sleep in general.
着 — sheep 羊 (top) + eye 目 (bottom)
着 originated as a variant of 著, which depicted plants emerging visibly above ground (grass radical 艹 over 者). Over time 着 split off to carry meanings like 'attach,' 'wear,' or a verb suffix marking ongoing action (zhe), while 著 kept senses like 'manifest' or 'author.'