dormir
/dɔʁ.miʁ/
To sleep in French is dormir.
The verb dormir is used to describe the physiological state of being in a natural rest where the eyes are closed and the mind is unconscious. If you wish to refer to sleep as a noun, you should use le sommeil.
Which one should you use?
While dormir is the standard way to describe the state of sleeping, the phrase faire dodo is a colloquial or childish way to express the idea of going to sleep or taking a nap.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative, the verb changes based on the subject: je dors (I sleep/I am sleeping), tu dors (you sleep), il/elle dort (he/she sleeps) and nous dormons (we sleep/we are sleeping). To form compound tenses such as the passé composé, use the past participle dormi with the auxiliary verb avoir, such as in the form dormi.
How do you pronounce it?
/dɔʁ.miʁ/
Did you know?
- In French, the expression dormir sur ses deux oreilles means to sleep soundly or feel completely secure, literally translating to 'sleep on one's two ears'.
- While dormir describes the act of sleeping, French uses a different verb s'endormir to describe the specific transition of falling asleep.
- The English word 'dormitory' is a direct linguistic relative of dormir, as both stem from the same Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to sleep'.
Examples in context
- Je veux dormir !I want to sleep!This sentence expresses 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 asks 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 asks for a destination for sleeping using dormir.Tatoeba #6385344 by Aiji, translation #2892770 by CK
- Je vais roupiller devant la télé ce soir.I'm going to sleep in front of the TV tonight.
- 230 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are talking in their apartment in the morning.
- GabrielTu as bien dormi ?Did you sleep well?
- EmmaNon, j'ai eu du mal à dormir.No, I had trouble sleeping.
- GabrielTu veux dormir un peu maintenant ?Do you want to sleep a little now?
- EmmaNon, je dois travailler.No, I have to work.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 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.
