dormir
“dormir” means “to sleep” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to sleep
Also: to be asleep, to fall asleep
📝 In Action
Necesito dormir ocho horas esta noche.
A1I need to sleep eight hours tonight.
El bebé duerme tranquilamente en su cuna.
A2The baby sleeps peacefully in his crib.
Anoche me dormí viendo una película.
B1Last night I fell asleep watching a movie.
to be numb
Also: to fall asleep
📝 In Action
Después de sentarme mucho tiempo, se me durmió la pierna.
B1After sitting for a long time, my leg fell asleep.
No siento los dedos, los tengo dormidos por el frío.
B2I can't feel my fingers, they're numb from the cold.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: dormir
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly says 'My arm fell asleep'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes directly from the Latin word 'dormīre', which had the exact same meaning: 'to sleep'. It's a very old and stable word that has been part of the language for thousands of years.
First recorded: Documented since the 10th century.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between 'dormir' and 'dormirse'?
Think of it this way: 'dormir' is the general activity of sleeping, like in 'I like to sleep'. 'Dormirse' is about the specific moment you *fall* asleep. You could say 'Anoche no pude dormirme' (Last night I couldn't fall asleep), but 'Dormí muy mal' (I slept very badly).
Why does 'dormir' change its spelling so much when I conjugate it?
'Dormir' is a 'stem-changing' verb, which is like a verb with a secret identity! In some forms, the 'o' changes to 'ue' (like 'duermo') and in others, it changes to 'u' (like 'durmió'). It's a pattern you'll see in other important verbs too. Once you get the hang of it, you'll start to recognize it everywhere!