dormir tôt
To sleep early in French is dormir tôt.
To go to bed or fall asleep at an early hour.
What does it mean word for word?
This phrase is composed of the infinitive verb dormir (to sleep) and the adverb tôt (early).
Which one should you use?
While dormir tôt refers to the act of sleeping early, se coucher tôt is more commonly used to describe the act of going to bed at an early hour. You can also use aller se coucher de bonne heure as an alternative way to say 'sleep early' in French.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adverb tôt is invariable and does not change regardless of the subject or tense of the verb dormir.
Did you know?
- The word tôt has a surprising connection to heat. It originates from the Latin 'tostus', which means 'toasted' and was used to describe something done 'hotly' or 'promptly'.
- While dormir tôt means to sleep early, the phrase faire un dodo is a common baby-talk version used with children.
- French uses the reflexive verb se coucher to describe going to bed, implying the person is 'laying themselves' down.
Examples in context
- Il y a des gens qui n'aiment pas dormir tôt.There are people who don't like to go to sleep early.This sentence shows how to use dormir tôt when talking about people's preferences.Tatoeba #8540545 by Aiji, translation #2087368 by AlanF_US
- Les enfants ne veulent pas dormir tôt.The children do not want to sleep early.This sentence shows how to use dormir tôt regarding the wishes of children.Tatoeba #11464788 by carlosalberto, translation #11464776 by carlosalberto
- Je prévois de me coucher tôt ce soir pour être en forme demain matin.I plan on sleeping early tonight to be in good shape tomorrow morning.
- Les enfants, ce soir vous allez faire dodo plus tôt !Tonight, kids, you're going to sleep early!
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are discussing their plans for the evening.
- GabrielTu veux sortir ce soir ?Do you want to go out tonight?
- ManonNon, je préfère dormir tôt.No, I prefer to sleep early.
- GabrielTu es fatiguée, Manon ?Are you tired, Manon?
- ManonOui, je veux dormir tôt pour demain.Yes, I want to sleep early for tomorrow.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dormir, tôt, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
