Normalmente, duermo bien.
Usually, I sleep well.
At the doctor's office the question is about sleep, and the answer uses duermo, the I form of dormir.
From Dr. House · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "sleep" in Spanish
dormir
verbstem change: duermonoun: el sueño
"Sleep" in Spanish is dormir. The o changes to ue in most present forms, so "I sleep" is duermo, and ¿Duermes bien? asks if you sleep well. The noun is el sueño, as in Tengo sueño (I'm sleepy).
Hear "duermo" in real movie scenes
An answer and a suggestion. Each video starts and stops on that line.
¿Por qué no duermes un poco?
Why don't you get some sleep?
It's advice for someone who is tired, and ¿Por qué no...? with duermes makes it a soft suggestion.
From Un papá genial · Spanish audio
Dormir in the present tense
Four forms take ue. Nosotros and vosotros keep the o.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo duermo | I sleep |
| tú duermes | you sleep |
| él / ella duerme | he / she sleeps |
| nosotros dormimos | we sleep |
| vosotros dormís | you all sleep (Spain) |
| ellos / ellas duermen | they sleep |
Tip: Two related phrases: dormirse is to fall asleep (Me duermo en el sofá), and tener sueño is to be sleepy.
Grammar: dormir, duermo
Four points that cover most of what you'll say about sleep.
The o becomes ue
When the stress falls on it, the o turns into ue: duermo, duermes, duerme, duermen. Dormimos keeps the o.Dormir or dormirse
dormir is to sleep, dormirse is to fall asleep: Duermo ocho horas. Me duermo a las once.Off to bed
Me voy a dormir is the everyday way to say you're going to bed.Sleep as a noun
el sueño means sleep, and also dream. Tengo sueño means I'm sleepy.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Duermo ocho horas.
I sleep eight hours.
Normalmente, duermo bien.
Usually, I sleep well.
Me encanta dormir.
I love sleeping.
¿Por qué no duermes un poco?
Why don't you get some sleep?
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Yo dormo
✓Yo duermo
The o changes to ue when it carries the stress.
✗Nosotros duermimos
✓Nosotros dormimos
In the nosotros form the stress moves to the ending, so the o stays.
✗Estoy sueño (meaning I'm sleepy)
✓Tengo sueño
Sleepiness takes tener in Spanish.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
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How to remember it
Dormir sounds like the start of dormitory, the building where students sleep. Both come from the Latin verb for sleeping.
Questions about "sleep" in Spanish
How do you say sleep in Spanish?
The verb is dormir, and "I sleep" is duermo. The noun, as in "I need sleep", is el sueño.
How do you say "go to sleep" in Spanish?
Me voy a dormir means I'm going to sleep. To send a child to bed, say ¡A dormir!
What's the difference between dormir and dormirse?
Dormir is to sleep, and dormirse is to fall asleep: Me duermo en el cine means I fall asleep at the movies.
How do you say "I'm sleepy" in Spanish?
Tengo sueño, literally "I have sleep". Spanish uses tener here, not estar.
