Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Dormir Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Dormir means to sleep. Present takes o→ue stem change (duermo, duermes, duerme). Preterite 3rd person takes o→u (durmió, durmieron). Reflexive dormirse = to fall asleep.
Duermo ocho horas.
I sleep eight hours.
What it is
Dormir means to sleep. Present takes the o→ue stem change (duermo, duermes, duerme, dormimos, dormís, duermen). Preterite 3rd person takes o→u (durmió, durmieron). Reflexive dormirse means to fall asleep.
In Duermo ocho horas (I sleep eight hours), duermo is the present yo with o→ue. Reflexive Me duermo a las once = I fall asleep at eleven.
How to spot it
Present: duerm- in stressed forms. Preterite 3rd person: durm-. Other tenses regular -ir.
- Duerme poco. — He sleeps little.
- Durmió toda la noche. — She slept all night.
- Me dormí enseguida. — I fell asleep right away.
Dormir = to sleep (the state). Dormirse = to fall asleep (the transition). Different verbs in Spanish for what English handles with one.
Dormir Conjugation Quick Reference
Dormir at a glance, the most-used forms across tenses
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | duermo | dormí | dormía | dormiré | duerma |
| tú | duermes | dormiste | dormías | dormirás | duermas |
| él/ella/Ud. | duerme | durmió | dormía | dormirá | duerma |
| nosotros | dormimos | dormimos | dormíamos | dormiremos | durmamos |
| vosotros | dormís | dormisteis | dormíais | dormiréis | durmáis |
| ellos/Uds. | duermen | durmieron | dormían | dormirán | duerman |
Common Dormir Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Dormir covers sleeping, the state of being asleep, and (reflexively) falling asleep:
Sleeping (Duration / State)
- Duermo ocho horas al día.
- I sleep eight hours a day.
- El bebé duerme mucho.
- The baby sleeps a lot.
- Dormimos en un hotel.
- We're sleeping at a hotel.
Dormir is for the ongoing act / state of sleeping. Duration, location, frequency.
Falling Asleep (Reflexive Dormirse)
- Me dormí en el sofá.
- I fell asleep on the couch.
- Se durmió pronto.
- She fell asleep quickly.
- No me duermo fácilmente.
- I don't fall asleep easily.
Reflexive dormirse marks the transition into sleep, not the act of sleeping itself.
Past Habits / Preterite Events
- De niño dormía con la luz prendida.
- As a kid, I used to sleep with the light on.
- Anoche dormí muy bien.
- Last night I slept very well.
- Durmieron poco antes del examen.
- They slept little before the exam.
Imperfect for past sleep habits. Preterite for specific nights.
Sleep Idioms
- Dormir como un tronco.
- Sleep like a log.
- Tengo sueño.
- I'm sleepy. (not duermo, uses tener)
- Dormir la siesta.
- Take a nap.
Being sleepy = tener sueño, not dormir. Dormir la siesta is the classic Spanish nap.
How to Conjugate Dormir Across Tenses
Present, O→Ue Stem Change
Yo / tú / él / ellos: duermo, duermes, duerme, duermen. Nosotros / vosotros: dormimos, dormís (no change).
Yo duermo, tú duermes, él duerme, nosotros dormimos, vosotros dormís, ellos duermen.
I sleep, you sleep, he sleeps, we sleep, you all sleep, they sleep.
Same o→ue pattern as poder (puedo), volver (vuelvo), encontrar (encuentro). Dormir and morir are the two -ir verbs with this pattern.
Preterite, O→U in 3rd Person
Yo / tú / nosotros / vosotros regular: dormí, dormiste, dormimos, dormisteis. 3rd person sing/plural take o→u: durmió, durmieron.
Yo dormí bien. Él durmió mal.
I slept well. He slept badly.
Dormir and morir are the only -ir verbs with o→u in 3rd-person preterite, same as durmió / murió.
Imperfect / Future, Regular
Imperfect: dormía, dormías, dormía, dormíamos, dormíais, dormían. Future: dormiré, dormirás. Both regular -ir.
Antes dormía más. Dormiré temprano hoy.
Before, I used to sleep more. I'll sleep early today.
Stem changes only in present and 3rd-person preterite.
Subjunctive, O→Ue + O→U in Nosotros / Vosotros
Present subjunctive: duerma, duermas, duerma, durmamos, durmáis, duerman. Notice durmamos / durmáis use u (not o).
Quiero que duermas bien.
I want you to sleep well.
Dormir / morir are unique: their subjunctive nosotros / vosotros take u instead of o (durmamos, muramos).
Common Mistakes with Dormir Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo dormo ocho horas. — I sleep eight hours. (wrong, present takes o→ue)
Correct: Yo duermo ocho horas. — I sleep eight hours.
Dormir takes o→ue in yo / tú / él / ellos. Duermo, not dormo.
Incorrect: Él dormió toda la noche. — He slept all night. (wrong, 3rd person preterite takes o→u)
Correct: Él durmió toda la noche. — He slept all night.
Dormir is one of two -ir verbs (with morir) that take o→u in 3rd-person preterite.
Incorrect: Duermo bien anoche. — I slept well last night. (wrong, anoche is past, needs preterite)
Correct: Dormí bien anoche. — I slept well last night.
Anoche signals a specific completed past event → preterite (dormí). Duermo is present.
Dormir Across Every Tense
Dual stem-change -ir verb (with morir): o→ue in present, o→u in 3rd-person preterite and nosotros / vosotros subjunctive.
Present (O→Ue)
Stressed forms take duerm-.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same o→ue family as puedo, vuelvo, encuentro, muestro.
Preterite (O→U in 3rd Person)
3rd person sing/plural take durm-.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same family as murió, durmieron, murieron.
Imperfect (Regular)
Fully regular -ir imperfect.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
De niño dormía con la luz prendida = As a kid I used to sleep with the light on.
Future, Conditional, Subjunctive
Future / conditional regular. Subjunctive: o→ue in stressed forms, o→u in nosotros / vosotros.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| nosotros (present subjunctive) |
Past participle dormido is regular.
Dormir Conjugation FAQs
- What does dormir mean and when do you use it in Spanish?
- Dormir means to sleep, the state of being asleep, duration of sleep, or location of sleep. Reflexive dormirse means to fall asleep (the transition). Different verbs for what English handles with sleep / fall asleep.
- How does dormir conjugate in the present tense?
- Duermo, duermes, duerme, dormimos, dormís, duermen. Takes o→ue stem change in yo / tú / él / ellos. Nosotros / vosotros keep the o.
- What's the preterite of dormir?
- Dormí, dormiste, durmió, dormimos, dormisteis, durmieron. 3rd person singular and plural shift o→u (durmió, durmieron). Same pattern as morir (murió, murieron).
- What's the difference between dormir and dormirse?
- Dormir = to sleep (the state, duration). Dormirse = to fall asleep (the transition). Dormí ocho horas (I slept eight hours) vs. Me dormí a las diez (I fell asleep at ten).
- How can I get better at conjugating dormir?
- Dormir is everyday vocabulary, sleep schedules, naps, falling asleep. Exposure to duermo / duermes / durmió / dormía in real contexts is the fastest path. Parrot's daily videos feature dormir in everyday conversations.