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How to Say "to sleep" in Spanish

English → Spanish

dormir

/dor-MEER//doɾˈmiɾ/

VerbA1General
Use 'dormir' when you mean the physical act of sleeping, like getting your required hours of rest.
A peaceful bear cub sleeping soundly in a cozy bed under a blue blanket in a simple bedroom setting.

Examples

Necesito dormir ocho horas esta noche.

I need to sleep eight hours tonight.

El bebé duerme tranquilamente en su cuna.

The baby sleeps peacefully in his crib.

Anoche me dormí viendo una película.

Last night I fell asleep watching a movie.

The Shape-Shifting Vowel (o → ue)

In the present tense, the 'o' in 'dormir' changes to 'ue' for most forms (yo, tú, él, ellos). Think of it as the verb waking up and stretching! For example, 'yo dormo' becomes 'yo duermo'. But 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' stay 'asleep' with the regular 'o': 'nosotros dormimos'.

The Other Shape-Shift (o → u)

In some other forms, like the 'él/ellos' past tense ('durmió', 'durmieron') and the present subjunctive 'nosotros/vosotros' ('durmamos'), the 'o' changes to a 'u'. This is a common pattern for verbs like 'dormir' and 'morir'.

Dormir vs. Dormirse

'Dormir' is the general act of sleeping. Adding 'se' ('dormirse') shifts the focus to the moment you fall asleep. 'Duermo bien' (I sleep well). 'Me duermo a las diez' (I fall asleep at ten).

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake: “Yo dormo muy bien.”

Correction: Yo duermo muy bien. Remember that in the present tense, the 'o' often changes to 'ue'!

Past Tense Mix-up

Mistake: “Él dormió ocho horas.”

Correction: Él durmió ocho horas. In the past tense for 'él' and 'ellos', the 'o' changes to a 'u'.

descansar

/dess-kahn-SAHR//des.kanˈsaɾ/

VerbA1General
Use 'descansar' when you mean to rest, relax, or take a break, which may or may not involve actual sleep.
A high quality storybook illustration of a small bear cub sleeping peacefully in a green hammock strung between two trees, representing taking a break.

Examples

Necesito descansar después de este largo viaje.

I need to rest after this long trip.

¿Por qué no descansas la vista un rato?

Why don't you rest your eyes for a while?

Descansamos el sábado y el domingo.

We rest (are off work) on Saturday and Sunday.

A Regular AR Verb

This verb follows the easiest conjugation pattern (AR ending), so once you know one 'AR' verb, you know 'descansar'!

Confusing 'descansar' and 'relajarse'

Mistake: “Me voy a descansar en la playa. (I am going to rest at the beach.)”

Correction: While okay, 'Me voy a relajar en la playa' (I am going to relax at the beach) is often more natural for leisure activities.

Confusing 'dormir' and 'descansar'

The most common mistake is using 'dormir' when you simply mean 'to rest' or 'to relax'. Remember, 'dormir' specifically refers to the act of sleeping, while 'descansar' is broader and includes resting without necessarily sleeping.

Related Translations

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