dormir
/doɾˈmiɾ/
To sleep in Spanish is dormir.
The verb dormir refers to the act of being asleep. Using the reflexive form dormirse typically emphasizes the transition of falling asleep rather than the state of sleeping itself.
Which one should you use?
While dormir means the act of being asleep, it is distinct from quedarse dormido, which means 'to fall asleep'.
How does it change in a sentence?
dormir is a stem-changing verb where the o changes to ue in many present tense forms, such as duermo (I sleep). Additionally, the stem of dormir changes from o to u in the third-person singular preterite form durmió (he/she slept).
How do you pronounce it?
/doɾˈmiɾ/
Did you know?
- The phrase dormir en los laureles means 'to rest on one's laurels', implying that someone has become lazy after achieving success.
- To describe someone as a 'heavy sleeper', Spanish speakers use the phrase dormir como un tronco, which literally means 'to sleep like a log'.
- The English word 'dormitory' is a direct linguistic relative of the Spanish dormir, both stemming from the Latin 'dormire'.
Examples in context
- Me voy a dormir.I'm going to sleep.Tatoeba #3252729 by Shishir, translation #1629771 by Spamster
- Voy a dormir acá.I'm going to sleep here.Tatoeba #2474752 by hayastan, translation #2545994 by CK
- Vete a dormir, Tom.Go to sleep, Tom.Tatoeba #3172979 by cueyayotl, translation #2648829 by CK
- Mi padre duerme profundamente.My father is sleeping deeply.
- Estoy muy cansado, así que voy a la cama temprano hoy.I am very tired, so I'm going to bed early today.
- Mi hermano se durmió mientras veía la televisión.My brother fell asleep while watching TV.
- Me voy a echar un rato, estoy cansado.I'm going to sleep for a while, I'm tired.
- 252 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are talking in their living room late at night.
- AlejandroSofía, ¿tienes sueño?Sofía, are you sleepy?
- SofíaSí, Alejandro, quiero dormir ya.Yes, Alejandro, I want to sleep now.
- AlejandroEstá bien, es hora de dormir.Alright, it is time to sleep.
- SofíaBuenas noches, descansa.Good night, rest.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry dormir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
