dormir
/dɔʁ.miʁ/
To sleep in French is dormir.
dormir is the verb meaning to rest in state of reduced consciousness. You may also encounter the noun sommeil to refer to the state of reduced consciousness, or the noun chassie to refer to the substance found in the corner of the eyes.
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Which one should you use?
While dormir is the verb 'to sleep', sommeil is the noun 'sleep'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the indicative present, the second person singular form of dormir is dors and the first person plural form is dormons.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /dɔʁ.miʁ/.
Did you know?
- The phrase dormir sur ses deux oreilles literally means 'to sleep on both ears' and is used to say one is sleeping soundly or without worry.
- While dormir is the standard verb, French speakers often use the phrase faire dodo when talking to children. Dodo is a redundant, baby-talk version of 'sleep'.
- The Proto-Indo-European root *drem- for dormir is also the ancestor of the English word 'dream'.
Examples in context
- Je veux dormir !I want to sleep!This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to sleep using dormir.Tatoeba #5667062 by Yemana, translation #5111920 by WM3DAS
- Tu as pu dormir ?Did you manage to sleep?This sentence is useful for asking if someone was able to sleep using dormir.Tatoeba #7695149 by Maxence, translation #2554697 by CK
- Où vas-tu dormir ?Where are you going to sleep?This sentence is useful for asking about a destination for sleep using dormir.Tatoeba #6385344 by Aiji, translation #2892770 by CK
- Dors bien, mon ami.Sleep well, my friend.
- Va te coucher, il est tard.Go to sleep, it's late.
- Passe une bonne nuit de sommeil.Have a good night's sleep.
- 474 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are talking at home in the evening.
- EmmaTu as envie de dormir ?Do you feel like sleeping?
- LucasOui, je veux vraiment dormir.Yes, I really want to sleep.
- EmmaBon, va dormir alors.Well, go sleep then.
- LucasMerci, bonne nuit Emma.Thanks, good night Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleep” translations and entries dormir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dormir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
