dormire come un ghiro
To say 'sleep like a log' in Italian, use dormire come un ghiro.
The phrase is used to describe sleeping well and without any disturbance.
Meaning: to sleep well, without disturbance (verb)
What does it mean word for word?
The expression dormire come un ghiro literally means 'to sleep like a dormouse'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In compound tenses, the phrase uses the past participle dormito, resulting in dormito come un ghiro (slept like a dormouse).
Did you know?
- In addition to dormire come un ghiro, Italians may use the phrase dormire come un sasso to mean 'to sleep like a stone'. This closer parallel to the English 'log' focuses on the immobility of the sleeper rather than the animal's hibernation.
- While ghiro refers to the dormouse, the Latin ancestor glīrus was famously documented by Pliny the Elder. He wrote about the animal's voracious appetite, which contributed to its reputation in ancient Roman culture.
- The root of dormire is shared with the English word 'dormitory', though the Italian phrase uses the animal's hibernation rather than a room's purpose.
Examples in context
- Mio nonno dorme sempre come un ghiro.My grandfather always sleeps like a log.
- Ieri sera ho dormito come un sasso!Last night I slept like a log!
- Ieri sera ero stanco e ho dormito come un ghiro.Last night I was tired and I slept like a log.
- Stasera voglio dormire come un ghiro.Tonight I want to sleep like a log.
