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Dormir vs S’endormir – To Sleep vs To Fall Asleep

Spoken Description

Compare and practice the verbs dormir (to sleep) and s’endormir (to fall asleep). Learn conjugation, idiomatic usage, reflexive forms, and common phrases in present, past, and future tenses. Enhance your bedroom vocabulary and sentence building.

Brush up on dormir and s’endormir. Focus on conjugation, reflexive forms, and common phrases for different tenses. Practice matching each verb with its English equivalent to speak naturally about sleeping.

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Ce guide court explique quand utiliser dormir et quand utiliser s’endormir en se concentrant sur leur différence simple : dormir signifie être endormi, tandis que s’endormir signifie commencer à dormir.

This short guide explains when to use dormir and when to use s’endormir by focusing on their simple difference: dormir means to be asleep, while s’endormir means to begin sleeping.

Dormir

Utilisez dormir pour parler de l’état de sommeil ou de la durée pendant laquelle quelqu’un dort. Il décrit l’état d’être endormi plutôt que le moment précis de tomber dans le sommeil.

Use dormir to talk about the state of sleeping or how long someone sleeps. It describes being asleep rather than the moment of falling asleep.

Examples

Le soir, je(s'endormir) rapidement après une longue journée.

In the evening, I fall asleep quickly after a long day.

conjugate s'endormir (to fall asleep) for 'je' in present tense

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Expressions

  • Bien dormir — bien se reposer
  • Dormir comme un bébé — dormir profondément et paisiblement

S’endormir

Utilisez s’endormir pour décrire le processus de tomber dans le sommeil ou le moment où le sommeil commence. Il met l’accent sur la transition entre l’éveil et le sommeil.

Use s’endormir to describe the process of falling asleep or the moment when sleep begins. It highlights the transition from wakefulness to sleep.

Examples

Le soir, je(s'endormir) rapidement après une longue journée.

In the evening, I fall asleep quickly after a long day.

conjugate s'endormir (to fall asleep) for 'je' in present tense

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Time Phrases

Differences

Remember: use s’endormir for the act of falling asleep and dormir for the state of being asleep. They are not interchangeable because they focus on different stages.

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Related Verbs

Other verbs like se réveiller (to wake up) and se rendormir (to fall asleep again) describe different moments in the sleep cycle and can pair naturally with dormir and s’endormir.

Summary

Dormir describes being asleep, while s’endormir describes the act of falling asleep. Use each verb according to whether you mean the state of sleep or the moment sleep begins.

All content was written by our AI and may contain a few mistakes. We may earn commissions on some links. Last updated: Mon Dec 8, 2025, 6:25 AM