dormir
/duʁˈmi(ʁ)/
The Portuguese word for 'sleep' is dormir.
dormir is the most standard and widely used verb meaning to rest in a state of reduced consciousness. To express that you are feeling sleepy, Portuguese speakers use the phrase ter sono (to have sleep) instead of using a single adjective. For a short period of sleep, you can use the casual expression dar uma soneca to mean 'take a nap'.
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Which one should you use?
While dormir is the verb 'to sleep', the word sono is the noun used to refer to the state of sleep or the feeling of being sleepy.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The phrase pegar no sono is an informal expression used specifically in Brazil.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative of dormir is durmo (I sleep). The third-person singular preterite form is dormiu, which means 'he/she/it slept' or 'you (singular) slept'.
How do you pronounce it?
/duʁˈmi(ʁ)/
Did you know?
- In Brazil, if someone says dormir no ponto, they are not talking about sleep, but rather that they missed an opportunity because they were distracted.
- The Portuguese word dormir shares the same Latin root as the English word 'dormitory', which literally translates to a place for sleeping.
- While English uses 'fall asleep', Portuguese speakers often use the verb adormecer to describe the specific process of drifting off.
Examples in context
- É hora de dormir.It's time to sleep.This sentence shows how to use dormir to say it is time to sleep.Tatoeba #1058038 by alexmarcelo, translation #936657 by CM
- Tom já foi dormir.Tom has already gone to sleep.This sentence uses dormir to show that someone has already gone to sleep.Tatoeba #5127029 by bill, translation #2765421 by CK
- Eu só quero dormir.I just want to sleep.This sentence uses dormir to express a desire to sleep.Tatoeba #2077724 by alexmarcelo, translation #2079037 by CK
- Preciso dormir maisI need to sleep more
- Após um longo dia, ela precisa descansarAfter a long day, she needs to sleep/rest
- Demorei para pegar no sono ontem à noiteIt took me a while to fall asleep last night
- Depois da festa, eu capotei na camaAfter the party, I crashed on the bed
- Vou dormitar um pouco no sofáI'm going to nap on the couch
- 468 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Camila and Felipe are at home late at night.
- CamilaVocê quer dormir agora?Do you want to sleep now?
- FelipeNão, eu ainda não estou com sono.No, I am not sleepy yet.
- CamilaMas você precisa dormir para descansar.But you need to sleep to rest.
- FelipeEu vou dormir um pouco mais tarde.I will sleep a little later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sleep” translations and entries dormir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
