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. |
They sleep late.
Ils ___ tard. (ils / dormir)
The correct conjugation for "ils" in the present tense is "dorment." The full sentence is "Ils dorment tard."
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. |
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
