dormir
/dɔʁ.miʁ/
To sleep in French is dormir.
The verb dormir refers to the act of resting in a state of reduced consciousness. When you want to refer to the state of sleep itself rather than the action, you use the related noun sommeil. Another related term is chassie, which 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?
While dormir is the verb used for the act of sleeping, sommeil is the noun used to refer to the state of sleep.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
dormir is an irregular verb in the present tense. For example, the first-person singular is je dors (I sleep) and the first-person plural is nous dormons (we sleep).
How do you pronounce it?
Two syllables: /dɔʁ.miʁ/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the noun sommeil when you need the verb dormir. For example, do not say Je suis sommeil instead of Je dors.
Did you know?
- The phrase dormir sur ses deux oreilles literally means 'to sleep on one's two ears' and signifies sleeping soundly.
- The French word for sleep, dormir, is a distant linguistic cousin to the English word 'dream'. Both stems trace back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root, *drem-.
- In French, the state of being sleepy is not an adjective like 'tired' but is expressed through the noun sommeil in the phrase avoir sommeil.
Examples in context
- Je veux dormir !I want to sleep!This sentence shows how to express 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 uses dormir to ask if someone was able 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 location for sleeping.Tatoeba #6385344 by Aiji, translation #2892770 by CK
- Je dois dormir tôt ce soir.I have to sleep early tonight.
- Vous devriez bien dormir avant votre présentation.You should sleep well before your presentation.
- Les chiens adorent roupiller toute la journée.Dogs love to sleep all day.
- J'ai besoin de faire du dodo.I need to go to sleep.
- 474 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are talking about their night's rest.
- HugoJe n'ai pas réussi à dormir.I didn't manage to sleep.
- LéaPourquoi ? Tu as fait un cauchemar ?Why? Did you have a nightmare?
- HugoNon, je préfère dormir dans le noir.No, I prefer to sleep in the dark.
- LéaMoi aussi, je dors mieux ainsi.Me too, I sleep better that way.
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.
