Dormir is a French irregular verb meaning “to sleep.” It is used to describe the action of sleeping or resting.
Conjugations
Present Tense (indicative)
The stem for conjugation is dor- for the first and second person plural forms, and dorm- for the other forms.
| French Pronoun | French Conjugation | English Conjugation | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | dors | I sleep | Je dors huit heures. | I sleep eight hours. |
| tu | dors | You sleep | Tu dors tôt. | You sleep early. |
| il/elle/on | dort | He/She/One sleeps | Elle dort profondément. | She sleeps deeply. |
| nous | dormons | We sleep | Nous dormons ensemble. | We sleep together. |
| vous | dormez | You sleep | Vous dormez bien. | You sleep well. |
| ils/elles | dorment | They sleep | Ils dorment tard. | They sleep late. |
Perfect Tense (passé composé)
Use the auxiliary verb avoir followed by the past participle dormi.
| French Pronoun | French Conjugation | English Conjugation | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| j’ | ai dormi | I slept | J’ai dormi beaucoup. | I slept a lot. |
| tu | as dormi | You slept | Tu as dormi tard. | You slept late. |
| il/elle/on | a dormi | He/She/One slept | Il a dormi tôt. | He slept early. |
| nous | avons dormi | We slept | Nous avons dormi huit heures. | We slept eight hours. |
| vous | avez dormi | You slept | Vous avez dormi longtemps. | You slept a long time. |
| ils/elles | ont dormi | They slept | Elles ont dormi peu. | They slept little. |
You slept late.
Tu ___ tard. (tu / dormir)
The passé composé of dormir uses "avoir" + "dormi." For "tu," it is "Tu as dormi tard."
Imperfect Tense (imparfait)
Use the stem dorm- and add the imperfect endings: -ais, -ais, -ait, -ions, -iez, -aient.
| French Pronoun | French Conjugation | English Conjugation | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | dormais | I was sleeping | Je dormais quand tu es arrivé. | I was sleeping when you arrived. |
| tu | dormais | You were sleeping | Tu dormais tôt. | You were sleeping early. |
| il/elle/on | dormait | He/She/One was sleeping | Elle dormait profondément. | She was sleeping deeply. |
| nous | dormions | We were sleeping | Nous dormions dans la même chambre. | We were sleeping in the same room. |
| vous | dormiez | You were sleeping | Vous dormiez toujours tard. | You were always sleeping late. |
| ils/elles | dormaient | They were sleeping | Ils dormaient bien. | They were sleeping well. |
Usage Notes
- Dormir is a transitive verb when used with a direct object indicating what one sleeps on (e.g., dormir un peu, dormir sur le canapé).
- It can also be used in reflexive form se dormir (rare and literary) or in pronominal forms like s’endormir (to fall asleep).
- Common expressions:
- dormir sur ses deux oreilles — to sleep soundly
- dormir comme un bébé — to sleep like a baby
- dormir debout — to be very sleepy (literally “sleep standing up”)
Tips
- Remember that the nous and vous forms use the stem dor-, while the others use dorm-.
- The past participle dormi is the same regardless of the subject.
- Be careful not to confuse dormir with endormir (to put to sleep) or s’endormir (to fall asleep).
Flashcards (1 of 18)
- English Conjugation: I sleep
- Example (English): I sleep eight hours.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
