duermen
/DWER-men/
they sleep
The word 'duermen' can describe a group of animals or people sleeping.
duermen(verb)
they sleep
?when talking about a group of people or animals resting
,you all sleep
?when talking directly to a group of people
they are sleeping
?describing an action happening right now
📝 In Action
Mis perros duermen en el sofá.
A1My dogs sleep on the couch.
Ustedes duermen mucho los fines de semana.
A1You all sleep a lot on weekends.
Ellos duermen profundamente.
A2They are sleeping deeply.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'O' to 'UE' Swap
This word comes from 'dormir.' In many forms, the 'o' changes into 'ue' to make it easier to emphasize the sound when speaking.
Talking about 'Them'
The 'n' at the end of 'duermen' tells you that more than one person is doing the sleeping.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'N'
Mistake: "Ellos duerme."
Correction: Say 'Ellos duermen.' Use the 'n' whenever you are talking about a group of people.
Using the 'O' instead of 'UE'
Mistake: "Ellos dormen."
Correction: Say 'Ellos duermen.' Remember that this verb changes its middle spelling in the present tense.
⭐ Usage Tips
Two meanings for one
'Duermen' can mean they are sleeping right this second, or that they usually sleep at a certain time. The context of your sentence will clear it up!
In some contexts, 'duermen' refers to objects that lie untouched or unused.
duermen(verb)
they lie untouched
?describing things that are not being used
they sit gathering dust
?informal way to describe abandoned projects or books
📝 In Action
Esos libros duermen en el estante desde hace años.
B2Those books have been lying untouched on the shelf for years.
💡 Grammar Points
Giving Life to Objects
In Spanish, you can use 'duermen' for objects to poetically say they are still or unused, just like a sleeping person.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
preterite
imperfect
present
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: duermen
Question 1 of 1
Which of these groups would you describe using 'duermen'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Can 'duermen' be used for both men and women?
Yes! Whether it's 'ellos' (men/mixed) or 'ellas' (women), the verb form 'duermen' stays exactly the same.
Is it 'dormimos' or 'duermimos'?
It's 'dormimos.' The 'o' only changes to 'ue' when the beat of the word falls on that syllable. In 'dormimos,' the beat is at the end, so the 'o' stays put!