Dormire Conjugation in Italian
dormire means “to sleep” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Italian learners meet — it sits at number 18 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Italian verbs. It is the verb of sleeping, and it is completely regular. It is the model verb for the -ire conjugation without -isc-, so its tables show the plain -ire endings in every tense. This page gives you the complete conjugation of dormire — every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle — with notes, examples, common mistakes and a quiz. Here is the verb in a natural sentence: “Io dormo bene ogni giorno.” — “I sleep well.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: dormire
- English: to sleep
- Verb type: Regular -ire verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: dormendo
- Present participle: dormente
- Past participle: dormito
- Auxiliary: avere (all perfect tenses are formed with avere + the past participle)
- Ending: -ire verbs; pattern ire in the verified tables
Pronunciation
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for dormire, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Learn the spelling of the forms first, and listen to a native speaker for the sounds rather than trusting an invented transcription. The forms below are the ones that matter: once you can read dormire in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about dormire
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ire pattern, so once you know the stem you can build the whole table. The only work is learning the endings, not memorising exceptions.
- The perfect tenses use avere: the passato prossimo is formed with avere in the present plus the past participle dormito. The tables on this page give the participle in the masculine singular form, exactly as it appears in the verified dump; agreement with the subject is a separate step that depends on the sentence, not on the verb table.
- The participles are dormente and dormito: keep both in mind as you read the tables, because the present participle appears as an adjective and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those two forms and the present tense, you already know the skeleton of the whole conjugation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for dormire. Learn the present tense first, then the passato prossimo and the imperfect, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | dormo |
| tu | dormi |
| lui/lei | dorme |
| noi | dormiamo |
| voi | dormite |
| loro | dormono |
The present indicative is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Io dormo bene ogni giorno.” — “I sleep well”
Passato remoto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | dormii |
| tu | dormisti |
| lui/lei | dormì |
| noi | dormimmo |
| voi | dormiste |
| loro | dormirono |
The passato remoto is used for completed actions in the distant past, mostly in written and literary Italian and in the south of Italy. For example: “Io dormii bene ieri.” — “I slept well”
Imperfect (imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | dormivo |
| tu | dormivi |
| lui/lei | dormiva |
| noi | dormivamo |
| voi | dormivate |
| loro | dormivano |
The imperfect is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Io dormivo bene una volta.” — “I used to sleep well”
Future (futuro semplice)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | dormirò |
| tu | dormirai |
| lui/lei | dormirà |
| noi | dormiremo |
| voi | dormirete |
| loro | dormiranno |
The future is used for what will happen, for predictions and for probability. For example: “Io dormirò bene domani.” — “I will sleep well”
Conditional (condizionale)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | dormirei |
| tu | dormiresti |
| lui/lei | dormirebbe |
| noi | dormiremmo |
| voi | dormireste |
| loro | dormirebbero |
The conditional is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Io dormirei bene un giorno.” — “I would sleep well”
Present perfect (passato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | ho dormito |
| tu | hai dormito |
| lui/lei | ha dormito |
| noi | abbiamo dormito |
| voi | avete dormito |
| loro | hanno dormito |
The passato prossimo is used for completed actions in the past, especially in spoken Italian. For example: “Lui ha dormito bene questa settimana.” — “He has slept well”
Pluperfect (trapassato prossimo)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avevo dormito |
| tu | avevi dormito |
| lui/lei | aveva dormito |
| noi | avevamo dormito |
| voi | avevate dormito |
| loro | avevano dormito |
The pluperfect is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Io avevo dormito bene prima della festa.” — “I had slept well”
Future perfect (futuro anteriore)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrò dormito |
| tu | avrai dormito |
| lui/lei | avrà dormito |
| noi | avremo dormito |
| voi | avrete dormito |
| loro | avranno dormito |
The future perfect is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Io avrò dormito bene per domani.” — “I will have slept well”
Conditional perfect (condizionale passato)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | avrei dormito |
| tu | avresti dormito |
| lui/lei | avrebbe dormito |
| noi | avremmo dormito |
| voi | avreste dormito |
| loro | avrebbero dormito |
The conditional perfect is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Io avrei dormito bene ieri.” — “I would have slept well”
Present subjunctive (congiuntivo presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | dorma |
| tu | dorma |
| lui/lei | dorma |
| noi | dormiamo |
| voi | dormiate |
| loro | dormano |
The present subjunctive is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after che. For example: “È importante che io dorma bene.” — “It is important that I sleep well”
Imperfect subjunctive (congiuntivo imperfetto)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| io | dormissi |
| tu | dormissi |
| lui/lei | dormisse |
| noi | dormissimo |
| voi | dormiste |
| loro | dormissero |
The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after che, and in if-clauses. For example: “Era importante che io dormissi bene.” — “It was important that I sleep well”
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | dormi |
| lui/lei | dorma |
| noi | dormiamo |
| voi | dormite |
| loro | dormano |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Dormi bene!” — “Sleep well!”
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | dormire |
| lui/lei | dorma |
| noi | dormiamo |
| voi | dormiate |
| loro | dormano |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Non dormire bene.” — “Do not sleep well.”
Gerund
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Gerund | dormendo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with stare for the progressive. For example: “Dormendo bene, imparo molto.” — “While sleeping well, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Present participle | dormente |
The present participle is used as an adjective, describing an ongoing action. For example, the participle dormente is used to describe something that is happening at the same time as the main action, much like an English -ing adjective.
Past participle
| Form | Italian |
|---|---|
| Past participle | dormito |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Io ho dormito bene questa settimana.” — “I have slept well.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with dormire, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Italian and try to produce it from the English.
- “Io dormo bene ogni giorno.” — “I sleep well”
- “Tu dormisti bene ieri.” — “You slept well”
- “Lui dormiva bene una volta.” — “He used to sleep well”
- “Io dormirò bene domani.” — “I will sleep well”
- “Tu dormiresti bene un giorno.” — “You would sleep well”
- “Lui ha dormito bene questa settimana.” — “He has slept well”
- “Io avevo dormito bene prima della festa.” — “I had slept well”
- “Tu avrai dormito bene per domani.” — “You will have slept well”
- “È importante che io dorma bene.” — “It is important that I sleep well”
- “Dormi bene!” — “Sleep well!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Io dormire bene.”
✓ Right: “Io dormo bene ogni giorno.”
The infinitive dormire never takes a subject. After io you need the conjugated present form dormo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Io dormi bene.”
✓ Right: “Io dormo bene ogni giorno.”
dormi is the tu form, not the io form. Match the verb to the subject every time: io goes with dormo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Io dormo bene ieri.”
✓ Right: “Io ho dormito bene questa settimana.”
Yesterday points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the passato prossimo ho dormito for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the passato prossimo
✗ Wrong: “Io sono dormito bene.”
✓ Right: “Io ho dormito bene questa settimana.”
The passato prossimo of dormire is formed with avere plus the past participle dormito: the io form is ho dormito. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “È importante che io dormo bene.”
✓ Right: “È importante che io dorma bene.”
After è importante che Italian needs the subjunctive, so use dorma here, not the indicative dormo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Io ho dormendo bene.”
✓ Right: “Io ho dormito bene questa settimana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle dormito, not the gerund dormendo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on dormire. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the io form of dormire in the Present indicative?
- A) dormi
- B) dormo
- C) dorme
- D) dormiamo
What is the lui/lei form of dormire in the Passato remoto?
- A) dormii
- B) dormisti
- C) dormì
- D) dormimmo
What is the noi form of dormire in the Imperfect?
- A) dormivo
- B) dormivi
- C) dormiva
- D) dormivamo
What is the tu form of dormire in the Future?
- A) dormirai
- B) dormirò
- C) dormirà
- D) dormiremo
What is the io form of dormire in the Conditional?
- A) dormiresti
- B) dormirei
- C) dormirebbe
- D) dormiremmo
What is the lui/lei form of dormire in the Present perfect (passato prossimo)?
- A) ho dormito
- B) hai dormito
- C) ha dormito
- D) abbiamo dormito
What is the lui/lei form of dormire in the Present subjunctive?
- A) dormiamo
- B) dormiate
- C) dormano
- D) dorma
What is the io form of dormire in the Imperfect subjunctive?
- A) dormissi
- B) dormisse
- C) dormissimo
- D) dormiste
What is the gerund of dormire?
- A) dormito
- B) dormendo
- C) dormire
- D) dormo
What does dormire mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to sleep
- D) to do, to make
Answer key
- B) dormo — the correct form is dormo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) dormì — the correct form is dormì. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) dormivamo — the correct form is dormivamo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) dormirai — the correct form is dormirai. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) dormirei — the correct form is dormirei. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) ha dormito — the correct form is ha dormito. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) dorma — the correct form is dorma. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) dormissi — the correct form is dormissi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) dormendo — the correct form is dormendo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) to sleep — the correct form is to sleep. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
Frequently asked questions
What does dormire mean in English?
dormire means “to sleep”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is dormire regular or irregular?
dormire is regular: it follows the ordinary -ire pattern in every tense. The gerund is dormendo and the past participle is dormito.
What are the gerund and past participle of dormire?
The gerund is dormendo — use it with stare for the progressive. The past participle is dormito — use it with avere for the perfect tenses, as in ho dormito.
Which auxiliary does dormire take in the passato prossimo?
dormire takes avere in the passato prossimo: the io form is ho dormito. All four perfect tenses on this page are built with avere plus the past participle dormito.
How do I say “I sleep” in Italian?
Say “Io dormo bene ogni giorno.” — “I sleep well” The io form of the present is dormo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of dormire — every tense of dormire in one place.
- Dormire in the passato prossimo tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Dormire examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Italian passato prossimo tense guide — the full guide to the passato prossimo tense in Italian.
- Dire conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Venire conjugation — another everyday Italian verb.
- Italian verbs — the full hub of Italian conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise dormire with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise dormire with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise dormire with the interactive tool.