dormir
/dɔʁ.miʁ/
The English phrase "sleep" is translated into French as dormir.
dormir is a verb used to describe the act of resting in a state of reduced consciousness. The related noun sommeil refers to the state of sleep itself, while chassie refers to the substance found in the corner of the eyes, sometimes used as a figurative objectification of sleep.
Meaning: to rest in state of reduced consciousness (verb)
Which one should you use?
Use the verb dormir to describe the action of sleeping, whereas the noun sommeil refers to the state of sleep itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The second person singular present indicative form of dormir is dors, and the first person plural present indicative form is dormons. To describe a continuous or habitual state of sleeping in the past, use the imperfect tense form dormait.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of dormir is /dɔʁ.miʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The French expression dormir sur ses deux oreilles means to sleep soundly and without worry, literally translating to 'sleeping on both ears'.
- If you are exhausted, instead of just saying you want to sleep, you might say je tombe de sommeil, which literally means 'I am falling from sleep'.
- In French, you can say faire dodo to describe a child's sleep, which is a much more childish and affectionate way to talk about sleeping than using dormir.
Examples in context
- Je veux dormir !I want to sleep!This sentence uses dormir to express a desire to sleep.Tatoeba #5667062 by Yemana, translation #5111920 by WM3DAS
- Tu as pu dormir ?Did you manage to sleep?This sentence uses dormir to ask if someone managed to sleep.Tatoeba #7695149 by Maxence, translation #2554697 by CK
- Où vas-tu dormir ?Where are you going to sleep?This sentence uses dormir to ask about a destination for sleeping.Tatoeba #6385344 by Aiji, translation #2892770 by CK
- Je dors bien la nuit.I sleep well at night.
- Il est déjà au lit.He is already in bed.
- Je vais faire dodo.I'm going to sleep.
- Je vais piquer un roupillon après le déjeuner.I'm going to take a nap after lunch.
- Il est l'heure de faire dodo, mon petit chéri.It's time to go to sleep, my little darling.
- 474 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are in their bedroom at night.
- LéaTu veux dormir maintenant ?Do you want to sleep now?
- NathanOui, je suis épuisé.Yes, I am exhausted.
- LéaBonne nuit, Nathan.Good night, Nathan.
- NathanBonne nuit, Léa.Good night, Léa.
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.
