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A simple illustration showing a character curled up asleep in a bed under a blue blanket.

duermo

DWEHR-moh

verbA1irregular (stem-changing o > ue) ir
I sleep?present tense, habitual action,I am sleeping?present continuous action (less common than 'estoy durmiendo')
Also:I nap?when referring to a short sleep (requires context)

Quick Reference

infinitivedormir
gerunddurmiendo
past Participledormido

📝 In Action

Siempre duermo ocho horas cada noche.

A1

I always sleep eight hours every night.

¿Por qué no contestas? ¡Duermo!

A2

Why aren't you answering? I'm sleeping!

Duermo en el sofá porque mi cama está rota.

A1

I sleep on the sofa because my bed is broken.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • descansar (to rest)
  • echar una siesta (to take a nap)

Antonyms

  • despertar (to wake up)
  • estar despierto (to be awake)

Common Collocations

  • duermo profundamente – I sleep deeply
  • duermo poco – I sleep little

Idioms & Expressions

  • duermo como un tronco – I sleep like a log (very soundly)

💡 Grammar Points

The 'O' to 'UE' Change

In many forms of the verb 'dormir' (like 'duermo'), the letter 'o' in the middle changes to 'ue'. This happens only in the 'boot' forms: yo, tú, él/ella/usted, and ellos/ellas/ustedes.

The Special 'IR' Change

Because 'dormir' is an '-ir' verb, it has an extra change: the 'o' becomes 'u' in the third person past tense forms (like 'durmió') and in the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' subjunctive forms (like 'durmamos').

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake: "Yo dormo ocho horas."

Correction: Yo duermo ocho horas. Remember to change the 'o' to 'ue' for the 'yo' form.

Using the Change for 'We'

Mistake: "Nosotros duermimos tarde."

Correction: Nosotros dormimos tarde. The 'we' and 'you all' forms ('nosotros' and 'vosotros') do *not* have the 'o > ue' change in the present indicative.

⭐ Usage Tips

Present Tense Dual Use

In Spanish, 'Duermo' can mean both 'I sleep' (habitual) and 'I am sleeping' (right now). You usually don't need 'estoy durmiendo' unless you want to emphasize the ongoing action.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedduerme
yoduermo
túduermes
ellos/ellas/ustedesduermen
nosotrosdormimos
vosotrosdormís

imperfect

él/ella/usteddormía
yodormía
túdormías
ellos/ellas/ustedesdormían
nosotrosdormíamos
vosotrosdormíais

preterite

él/ella/usteddurmió
yodormí
túdormiste
ellos/ellas/ustedesdurmieron
nosotrosdormimos
vosotrosdormisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedduerma
yoduerma
túduermas
ellos/ellas/ustedesduerman
nosotrosdurmamos
vosotrosdurmáis

imperfect

él/ella/usteddurmiera
yodurmiera
túdurmieras
ellos/ellas/ustedesdurmieran
nosotrosdurmiéramos
vosotrosdurmierais
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: duermo

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the verb 'dormir' for the 'we' form?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

dormir(to sleep (infinitive)) - verb
el dormitorio(bedroom) - noun
el durmiente(sleeper) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the 'o' change to 'ue' in 'duermo' but not in 'dormimos'?

This is a common pattern for 'boot verbs.' The change (o to ue) happens when the stress falls on the syllable with the vowel change. In 'duermo,' the stress is on 'due-,' but in 'dormimos,' the stress is on '-mi-,' leaving the 'o' untouched.

Is 'Duermo' the same as 'Estoy durmiendo'?

They are very similar. 'Duermo' (I sleep) is the simple present and is used most often. 'Estoy durmiendo' (I am sleeping) uses the gerund form and emphasizes that the action is happening right now, this very second.