Introduction

Dormir means “to sleep”, and this page covers exactly one thing: dormir in the pretérito perfeito. The pretérito perfeito is the tense Portuguese speakers reach for when they talk about one finished action in the past, especially in conversation. On this page you will find the full pretérito perfeito table for dormir, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the pretérito imperfeito, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about dormir in the pretérito perfeito. It is the verb of sleeping, and it is completely regular in the verified tables. Notice the eu form durmo against tu dormes: the vowel changes in the first person, and the subjunctive keeps the u throughout — durma, durmas, durma. It is the model verb for the -ir conjugation without a stem change in the plural. For example: “Ele dormiu bem ontem.” — “He slept well.” Everything on this page uses the forms of dormir exactly as they are conjugated in the pretérito perfeito, so you can trust every form you see here.

Dormir in the Pretérito perfeito — full table

Person Form
eu dormi
tu dormiste
ele/ela dormiu
nós dormimos
vós dormistes
eles/elas dormiram
Gerund: dormindo · Past participle: dormido
The gerund is dormindo, which you use with estar to say what is happening at the same time as the main action: “Dormindo bem, aprendo muito.” — “While sleeping well, I learn a lot.” The past participle is dormido, which you use with ter in the perfect tenses: tenho dormido is the pretérito perfeito composto, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the pretérito perfeito is only one part of how dormir is used.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for dormir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

How the pretérito perfeito of dormir is formed

The pretérito perfeito of dormir has six forms: eu dormi, tu dormiste, ele dormiu, nós dormimos, vós dormistes, eles dormiram. The participle is given here 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. dormir is regular in the pretérito perfeito: the -ar endings are -ei, -aste, -ou, -ámos, -astes, -aram, and the -er and -ir endings are -i, -este, -eu, -emos, -estes, -eram. Learn the six forms as a set and the tense is yours — the endings never change for a regular verb.

Two things about the pretérito perfeito of dormir are worth noticing. First, it is the tense of finished events with a clear result, so it pairs naturally with time words such as ontem, esta semana and no ano passado — those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense. Second, it is a simple tense, built from one word, unlike the pretérito perfeito composto, which needs ter plus the participle dormido: tenho dormido. When the action is one finished event, reach for the simple form first.

Because the pretérito perfeito of dormir is one word per person, it is cheap to learn once the six forms are fixed. Learn them in order — eu, tu, ele, nós, vós, eles — and say each one with a time word, so the tense and its time words are learnt together.

When to use the pretérito perfeito of dormir

The pretérito perfeito is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use dormir in the pretérito perfeito most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. One finished action

The pretérito perfeito describes a single action that is finished, especially in spoken Portuguese. When the action has a clear end, the pretérito perfeito is the natural choice. Example: “Eu dormi bem ontem.” — “I slept well.”

2. Recent events

Use the pretérito perfeito for things that happened recently — today, this week, this morning — where the result is still visible in the present. Example: “Ele dormiu bem ontem.” — “He slept well.”

3. A sequence of events

When you tell what happened first, second and third, each step takes the pretérito perfeito. The tense moves the story forward one finished action at a time. Example: “Nós dormimos bem ontem.” — “We slept well.”

4. An experience in your life

Use the pretérito perfeito for things you have done in your life, with or without a time expression. It is the tense of experience as much as of yesterday. Example: “Tu dormiste bem ontem.” — “You slept well.”

5. News and results

When you report news or a result, the pretérito perfeito carries it: something happened, and now the situation is different. The result matters more than the process. Example: “Eles dormiram bem ontem.” — “They slept well.”

Pretérito Perfeito vs Pretérito Imperfeito: how to choose

The closest tense to the pretérito perfeito is the pretérito imperfeito, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the pretérito perfeito describes one finished action, while the pretérito imperfeito describes an ongoing or habitual action in the past, or the background of a scene. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the pretérito perfeito sentences use words such as ontem or esta semana, while the pretérito imperfeito sentences use antigamente or todos os dias.

  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Ele dormiu bem ontem.” — “He slept well”
  • Pretérito Imperfeito: “Ele dormia bem antigamente.” — “He used to sleep well”
  • The pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event; the pretérito imperfeito sentence is an ongoing or habitual past action. Ontem points to the pretérito perfeito, antigamente points to the pretérito imperfeito.
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Eu dormi bem ontem.” — “I slept well”
  • Pretérito Imperfeito: “Eu dormia bem antigamente.” — “I used to sleep well”
  • The pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event; the pretérito imperfeito sentence is an ongoing or habitual past action. Ontem points to the pretérito perfeito, antigamente points to the pretérito imperfeito.
  • Pretérito Perfeito: “Tu dormiste bem ontem.” — “You slept well”
  • Pretérito Imperfeito: “Tu dormias bem antigamente.” — “You used to sleep well”
  • The pretérito perfeito sentence is one finished event; the pretérito imperfeito sentence is an ongoing or habitual past action. Ontem points to the pretérito perfeito, antigamente points to the pretérito imperfeito.

Example sentences: dormir in the pretérito perfeito

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions and the objects — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Eu dormi bem ontem.” — “I slept well”
  2. “Tu dormiste bem ontem.” — “You slept well”
  3. “Ele dormiu bem ontem.” — “He slept well”
  4. “Nós dormimos bem ontem.” — “We slept well”
  5. “Vós dormistes bem ontem.” — “You slept well”
  6. “Eles dormiram bem ontem.” — “They slept well”
  7. “Eu dormi bem ontem.” — “I slept well”
  8. “Ele dormiu bem ontem.” — “He slept well”

Common mistakes

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Eu durmo bem ontem.” Right: “Eu dormi bem ontem.” Why: Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito dormi for a finished action yesterday.
  • Wrong: “Eu dormia bem ontem.” Right: “Eu dormi bem ontem.” Why: The pretérito imperfeito describes an ongoing or habitual past action, not one finished event. For a single finished action yesterday, use the pretérito perfeito dormi.
  • Wrong: “Eu dormiste bem.” Right: “Eu dormi bem ontem.” Why: The eu form is dormi, not dormiste. dormiste is the tu form. Match the verb to the subject every time.
  • Wrong: “Eu dormir bem.” Right: “Eu dormi bem ontem.” Why: The infinitive dormir never takes a subject and never forms a past tense on its own. After eu you need the conjugated pretérito perfeito form dormi.

Quiz: test yourself

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

  1. What is the eu form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?

    • A) dormiste
    • B) dormi
    • C) dormiu
    • D) dormimos

  2. What is the tu form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?

    • A) dormi
    • B) dormiu
    • C) dormiste
    • D) dormimos

  3. What is the ele/ela form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?

    • A) dormi
    • B) dormiste
    • C) dormimos
    • D) dormiu

  4. What is the nós form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?

    • A) dormimos
    • B) dormi
    • C) dormiste
    • D) dormiu

  5. What is the vós form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?

    • A) dormi
    • B) dormistes
    • C) dormiste
    • D) dormiu

  6. What is the eles/elas form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?

    • A) dormi
    • B) dormiste
    • C) dormiram
    • D) dormiu

  7. What is the eu form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?

    • A) dormiste
    • B) dormiu
    • C) dormimos
    • D) dormi

  8. What is the tu form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?

    • A) dormiste
    • B) dormi
    • C) dormiu
    • D) dormimos

Answer key

  1. B) dormi — the correct form is dormi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  2. C) dormiste — the correct form is dormiste. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  3. D) dormiu — the correct form is dormiu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  4. A) dormimos — the correct form is dormimos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  5. B) dormistes — the correct form is dormistes. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  6. C) dormiram — the correct form is dormiram. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  7. D) dormi — the correct form is dormi. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
  8. A) dormiste — the correct form is dormiste. The other options are other forms of the same verb.

Frequently asked questions

What does dormir mean in English?

dormir means “to sleep”. It is a regular -ir verb.

How is the pretérito perfeito of dormir formed?

The six pretérito perfeito forms are: eu dormi, tu dormiste, ele dormiu, nós dormimos, vós dormistes, eles dormiram.

When do I use the pretérito perfeito instead of the pretérito imperfeito?

Use the pretérito perfeito for one finished action in the past. Use the pretérito imperfeito for an ongoing or habitual past action, or for background description. The time words are your best clue: ontem points to the pretérito perfeito, antigamente points to the pretérito imperfeito.

What are the gerund and past participle of dormir?

The gerund is dormindo and the past participle is dormido. The perfect tenses use ter + dormido.

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