Je me suis endormi
The English phrase 'I fell asleep' is translated into French as Je me suis endormi.
This phrase is used to say that someone transitioned from being awake to sleeping.
Which one should you use?
While Je me suis endormi describes the specific moment of transitioning into sleep, Je dors is used to describe the state of being currently asleep. Additionally, if you want to express the action in the present tense, such as 'I am falling asleep', you would use Je m'endors.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase Je me suis endormi is in the past tense. If the speaker is female, the past participle must agree with the subject by adding an -e to the end, resulting in Je me suis endormie.
Did you know?
- Because Je me suis endormi is a reflexive construction, it literally translates to 'I fell myself asleep'. French treats the transition into sleep as an action you perform upon yourself.
- The word suis in your phrase is a double agent. It is the same form used to say 'I am', but here it functions as an auxiliary verb to build the past tense.
- The word suis is a historical hybrid. It comes from the Latin word for 'I am', but its form was heavily influenced by the Latin word for 'I was' (fuī).
Examples in context
- Je me suis endormi.I fell asleep.This sentence is a simple statement of having fallen asleep using Je me suis endormi.Tatoeba #4614071 by Amastan, translation #303964 by CK
- Je me suis endormi habillé.I fell asleep with my clothes on.This sentence uses Je me suis endormi to describe falling asleep while wearing clothes.Tatoeba #12459199 by zogwarg, translation #9323728 by CK
- Je me suis endormi en classe.I fell asleep in class.This sentence uses Je me suis endormi to describe falling asleep during a class.Tatoeba #5158339 by Salemminou, translation #2283195 by ichivivi20
- Hier soir, après une longue journée, je me suis endormi(e) très rapidement.Yesterday evening, after a long day, I fell asleep very quickly.
- Pendant la réunion, je me suis assoupi(e) malgré mes efforts pour rester éveillé(e).During the meeting, I fell asleep despite my efforts to stay awake.
- Après la journée chargée, j'ai sombré dans le sommeil dès que je me suis allongé(e).After a busy day, I sank into sleep as soon as I lay down.
- Après la fête d'hier soir, je me suis endormi(e) comme une souche.After last night's party, I fell asleep like a log.
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan explains why he did not answer Chloé's text last night.
- NathanJe suis désolé, Chloé.I am sorry, Chloé.
- ChloéPourquoi n'as-tu pas répondu ?Why didn't you reply?
- NathanJe me suis endormi très vite.I fell asleep very quickly.
- ChloéCe n'est pas grave, Nathan.It is not a problem, Nathan.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries je, me, suis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
