Spanish · Everyday Verbs
"to sleep" in Spanish: dormir
dormir
To sleep in Spanish is dormir. Stem-changing present forms are duermo, duermes, and duerme. Nosotros dormimos keeps the o.
Talking about habits
Duermo ocho horas cuando puedo.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce dormir
Say it
dor-MEER / DWEHR-moh
/doɾ.ˈmiɾ/
Dormir is dor-MEER. Duermo is DWEHR-moh. The ue is one syllable.
"to sleep" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| dormir | to sleep Dictionary form. | Dictionary form. |
| duermo | I sleep First-person present with ue. | First-person present with ue. |
| duermes / duerme | you sleep / he-she sleeps Habits and questions. | Habits and questions. |
| dormimos / duermen | we sleep / they sleep Nosotros keeps o; others use ue. | Nosotros keeps o; others use ue. |
| dormido | asleep / slept Related form: estoy dormido. | Related form: estoy dormido. |
How to use dormir in real life
- 1Talking about habits
Duermo ocho horas cuando puedo.
I sleep eight hours when I can.
Duermo shows the ue change.
- 2Asking a roommate
¿Duermes bien en este cuarto?
Do you sleep well in this room?
Duermes is the tú form.
- 3Travel plans
Queremos dormir temprano antes del vuelo.
We want to sleep early before the flight.
Dormir stays infinitive after queremos.
Mistakes English speakers make with dormir
Incorrect: Yo dormo mucho.
Correct: Yo duermo mucho.
Present yo is duermo with ue.
Incorrect: Nosotros duermimos tarde.
Correct: Nosotros dormimos tarde.
Nosotros keeps dormir without ue.
Good to know
Dormir is a classic o→ue verb. Once you learn duermo, the same pattern helps with volver and poder later.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Planning rest before an early bus
ChatPal
¿A qué hora duermes normalmente?
What time do you usually sleep?
You
Duermo cerca de las once.
I sleep around eleven.
ChatPal
Hoy yo duermo más temprano.
Today I'm sleeping earlier.
You
Buena idea. Quiero dormir bien también.
Good idea. I want to sleep well too.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to sleep" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to sleep" in Spanish
Why duermo and not dormo?
Dormir changes o→ue in most present forms: duermo, duermes, duerme, duermen.
Does nosotros change too?
No. Dormimos keeps the o.
How do I say I'm sleepy?
Tengo sueño is the everyday line.
How do you pronounce duermo?
DWEHR-moh. Say due as one beat.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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