Dormire means to sleep. It is the model verb for regular -IRE verbs, the ones that never add -isc-, so its table also teaches you partire, sentire and servire.
Infinitive
dormire
English
to sleep
Auxiliary
avere
Past participle
dormito
Gerund
dormendo
Regular -IRE verb, and the model for the group. Drop -ire to get the stem dorm-, then add the endings with no -isc- anywhere. Present: dormo, dormi, dorme, dormiamo, dormite, dormono. Only the voi form separates this from a regular -ERE verb: dormite here, credete for credere. The imperfect uses -iv- (dormivo, dormivamo), and the future and the conditional keep the i of the infinitive (dormirò, dormirei). The passato remoto runs dormii, dormisti, dormì, dormimmo, dormiste, dormirono. The present subjunctive takes -a in the singular (che io dorma) and -ano in the third person plural (che dormano). The tu imperative is dormi, the negative non dormire. There are no irregular forms.
You use dormire for sleep in the literal sense (dormo otto ore a notte) and for spending the night somewhere (stanotte dormiamo da mia sorella). It describes the state of being asleep, not the moment you drop off. Falling asleep is addormentarsi and waking up is svegliarsi, so a normal night reads mi addormento alle undici, dormo fino alle sette, mi sveglio. Dormire also has a figurative side: a person who is slow to react dorme, and a plan that nobody follows up is said to dormire nel cassetto.
Dormire takes avere: ho dormito, abbiamo dormito poco. It is intransitive, but it describes no movement and no change of state, so it does not take essere. The participle never agrees with the subject: lei ha dormito, i bambini hanno dormito tutto il pomeriggio.
Dormire in context
Presente:Di solito dormo sette ore, ma la domenica dormo fino a tardi. (I usually sleep seven hours, but on Sundays I sleep in.)
Passato Prossimo:Hai dormito bene? Sì, ho dormito come un ghiro. (Did you sleep well? Yes, I slept like a log.)
Imperfetto:Quando sei arrivato, i bambini dormivano già. (When you arrived, the children were already asleep.)
Futuro Semplice:Stanotte dormiremo in un rifugio a duemila metri. (Tonight we will sleep in a mountain hut at two thousand metres.)
Condizionale Presente:Dormirei volentieri un'altra ora. (I would happily sleep another hour.)
Congiuntivo Presente:Spero che tu dorma meglio stanotte. (I hope you sleep better tonight.)
Gerundio:In questo periodo sto dormendo pochissimo. (I am sleeping very little these days.)
Common expressions with dormire
dormire come un ghiro: to sleep like a log. Literally to sleep like a dormouse, an animal famous for its long hibernation.
dormirci sopra: to sleep on it. Dormici sopra e decidi domani: sleep on it and decide tomorrow.
dormire sugli allori: to rest on your laurels
dormire in piedi: to be dead on your feet. So tired that you could sleep standing up.
dormire tra due guanciali: to have nothing to worry about. Literally to sleep between two pillows.
chi dorme non piglia pesci: the early bird catches the worm. Literally he who sleeps catches no fish.
Common mistakes
Ho dormito male., not Sono dormito male. (I slept badly.). Learners who know that many intransitive verbs take essere apply the rule to dormire. Essere goes with verbs of movement or change of state, such as andare or addormentarsi. Dormire is neither, so it takes avere.
Ieri sera mi sono addormentato alle undici., not Ieri sera ho dormito alle undici. (Last night I fell asleep at eleven.). English went to sleep at eleven names a moment. Dormire describes a state with a duration (ho dormito otto ore), so the moment of falling asleep needs addormentarsi. If you mean you went to bed, say sono andato a dormire alle undici.
Mio fratello dorme molto., not Mio fratello dormisce molto. (My brother sleeps a lot.). Dormire is not an -ISC verb. The -isc- insert belongs to verbs such as finire and capire, and there is no rule that predicts it from the infinitive. Dormire, partire, sentire and servire keep the plain stem: dorme, parte, sente, serve.
Avere. The passato prossimo is ho dormito, hai dormito, ha dormito, and the participle does not change: le ragazze hanno dormito in tenda. Do not let the fact that dormire is intransitive push you toward essere.
Is dormire an -ISC verb?
No. Dormire belongs to the regular -IRE group, so the present is dormo, dormi, dorme, dormiamo, dormite, dormono. Forms such as dormisco do not exist. Compare finire, an -ISC verb, where the same persons are finisco, finisci, finisce, finiscono.
What is the difference between dormire and addormentarsi?
Dormire is to be asleep, a state that lasts: ho dormito tutta la notte. Addormentarsi is to fall asleep, the moment the state begins: mi sono addormentato sul divano. Addormentarsi is reflexive and takes essere; dormire takes avere.
What is the past participle of dormire?
Dormito, which is regular. The gerund is dormendo, used with stare for an action in progress: stavo dormendo quando hai chiamato, I was asleep when you called.