Dormir Conjugation in Portuguese
dormir means “to sleep” in English, and it is one of the first verbs Portuguese learners meet — it sits at number 20 in VerbFlow’s frequency list for Portuguese verbs. 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. This page gives you the complete conjugation of dormir — 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: “Eu durmo bem todos os dias.” — “I sleep well.”
Quick facts
- Infinitive: dormir
- English: to sleep
- Verb type: Regular -ir verb
- Irregular in: none — regular in every tense
- Gerund: dormindo
- Present participle: dormente
- Past participle: dormido
- Auxiliary: ter (all perfect tenses are formed with ter + the past participle)
- Ending: -ir verbs; pattern ir in the verified tables
Pronunciation
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. 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 dormir in every tense, you can recognise it in speech even before you can pronounce every form perfectly.
Three things to remember about dormir
- It is regular: every form follows the ordinary -ir 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 ter: the pretérito perfeito composto is formed with ter in the present plus the past participle dormido. 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 gerund is dormindo, the present participle is dormente and the past participle is dormido: keep all three in mind as you read the tables, because the gerund appears in progressive constructions, the present participle appears as an adjective, and the past participle appears in every perfect tense. If you know those three 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 dormir. Learn the present tense first, then the pretérito perfeito and the pretérito imperfeito, and add the remaining tenses one at a time.
Present indicative (presente)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | durmo |
| tu | dormes |
| ele/ela | dorme |
| nós | dormimos |
| vós | dormis |
| eles/elas | dormem |
The present indicative (presente) is used for habits, facts and things happening now. For example: “Eu durmo bem todos os dias.” — “I sleep well”
Pretérito perfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | dormi |
| tu | dormiste |
| ele/ela | dormiu |
| nós | dormimos |
| vós | dormistes |
| eles/elas | dormiram |
The pretérito perfeito is used for completed actions in the past, especially one finished event. For example: “Eu dormi bem ontem.” — “I slept well”
Pretérito imperfeito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | dormia |
| tu | dormias |
| ele/ela | dormia |
| nós | dormíamos |
| vós | dormíeis |
| eles/elas | dormiam |
The pretérito imperfeito is used for ongoing or habitual actions in the past, and for background description. For example: “Eu dormia bem antigamente.” — “I used to sleep well”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | dormira |
| tu | dormiras |
| ele/ela | dormira |
| nós | dormíramos |
| vós | dormíreis |
| eles/elas | dormiram |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito simples is used for an action completed before another past action; in everyday speech the compound form with tinha is more common. For example: “Eu dormira bem antes do jantar.” — “I had slept well”
Futuro do presente
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | dormirei |
| tu | dormirás |
| ele/ela | dormirá |
| nós | dormiremos |
| vós | dormireis |
| eles/elas | dormirão |
The futuro do presente is used for what will happen, for predictions and for promises. For example: “Eu dormirei bem amanhã.” — “I will sleep well”
Futuro do pretérito
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | dormiria |
| tu | dormirias |
| ele/ela | dormiria |
| nós | dormiríamos |
| vós | dormiríeis |
| eles/elas | dormiriam |
The futuro do pretérito is used for what would happen, for polite requests and for hypothetical situations. For example: “Eu dormiria bem um dia.” — “I would sleep well”
Pretérito perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenho dormido |
| tu | tens dormido |
| ele/ela | tem dormido |
| nós | temos dormido |
| vós | tendes dormido |
| eles/elas | têm dormido |
The pretérito perfeito composto is used for actions that started in the past and continue, or have been repeated, up to the present. For example: “Ele tem dormido bem esta semana.” — “He has slept well”
Pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tinha dormido |
| tu | tinhas dormido |
| ele/ela | tinha dormido |
| nós | tínhamos dormido |
| vós | tínheis dormido |
| eles/elas | tinham dormido |
The pretérito mais-que-perfeito composto is used for an action completed before another past action. For example: “Eu tinha dormido bem antes do jantar.” — “I had slept well”
Futuro do presente composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | terei dormido |
| tu | terás dormido |
| ele/ela | terá dormido |
| nós | teremos dormido |
| vós | tereis dormido |
| eles/elas | terão dormido |
The futuro do presente composto is used for what will have happened by a point in the future. For example: “Eu terei dormido bem até amanhã.” — “I will have slept well”
Futuro do pretérito composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | teria dormido |
| tu | terias dormido |
| ele/ela | teria dormido |
| nós | teríamos dormido |
| vós | teríeis dormido |
| eles/elas | teriam dormido |
The futuro do pretérito composto is used for what would have happened in a different past. For example: “Eu teria dormido bem ontem.” — “I would have slept well”
Presente do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | durma |
| tu | durmas |
| ele/ela | durma |
| nós | durmamos |
| vós | durmais |
| eles/elas | durmam |
The presente do subjuntivo is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and opinions after que. For example: “É importante que eu durma bem.” — “It is important that I sleep well”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | dormisse |
| tu | dormisses |
| ele/ela | dormisse |
| nós | dormíssemos |
| vós | dormísseis |
| eles/elas | dormissem |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo is used in the past for wishes and hypotheticals after que, and in se-clauses. For example: “Era importante que eu dormisse bem.” — “It was important that I sleep well”
Futuro do subjuntivo
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | dormir |
| tu | dormires |
| ele/ela | dormir |
| nós | dormirmos |
| vós | dormirdes |
| eles/elas | dormirem |
The futuro do subjuntivo is used after se and quando for a future possibility, where English would use the present. For example: “Se eu dormir bem, é bom.” — “If I sleep well, that is good”
Imperativo (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | dorme |
| ele/ela | durma |
| nós | durmamos |
| vós | dormi |
| eles/elas | durmam |
The affirmative imperative is used for direct commands and instructions. For example: “Dorme bem!” — “Sleep well!”
Imperativo (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tu | não durmas |
| ele/ela | não durma |
| nós | não durmamos |
| vós | não durmais |
| eles/elas | não durmam |
The negative imperative is used for prohibitions and negative commands. For example: “Não durmas bem.” — “Do not sleep well.”
Presente do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tenha dormido |
| tu | tenhas dormido |
| ele/ela | tenha dormido |
| nós | tenhamos dormido |
| vós | tenhais dormido |
| eles/elas | tenham dormido |
The presente do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a subordinate clause expressing doubt, wish or emotion. For example: “É importante que eu tenha dormido bem.” — “It is important that I have slept well”
Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tivesse dormido |
| tu | tivesses dormido |
| ele/ela | tivesse dormido |
| nós | tivéssemos dormido |
| vós | tivésseis dormido |
| eles/elas | tivessem dormido |
The pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo composto is used for a completed action in a past subordinate clause. For example: “Era importante que eu tivesse dormido bem.” — “It was important that I had slept well”
Futuro do subjuntivo composto
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| eu | tiver dormido |
| tu | tiveres dormido |
| ele/ela | tiver dormido |
| nós | tivermos dormido |
| vós | tiverdes dormido |
| eles/elas | tiverem dormido |
The futuro do subjuntivo composto is used after se for a completed future possibility. For example: “Se eu tiver dormido bem, é bom.” — “If I have slept well, that is good”
Gerund
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Gerund | dormindo |
The gerund is used for an action happening at the same time as another action, often with estar for the progressive. For example: “Dormindo bem, aprendo muito.” — “While sleeping well, I learn a lot.”
Present participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| 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. You will meet dormente more often as an adjective or a noun than as a verb form, so learn it as a word in its own right.
Past participle
| Form | Portuguese |
|---|---|
| Past participle | dormido |
The past participle is used with an auxiliary to form the perfect tenses, and as an adjective. For example: “Eu tenho dormido bem esta semana.” — “I have slept well.”
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with dormir, covering different tenses and persons. Say each one aloud, then cover the Portuguese and try to produce it from the English.
- “Eu durmo bem todos os dias.” — “I sleep well”
- “Tu dormiste bem ontem.” — “You slept well”
- “Ele dormia bem antigamente.” — “He used to sleep well”
- “Eu dormirei bem amanhã.” — “I will sleep well”
- “Tu dormirias bem um dia.” — “You would sleep well”
- “Ele tem dormido bem esta semana.” — “He has slept well”
- “Eu tinha dormido bem antes do jantar.” — “I had slept well”
- “Tu terás dormido bem até amanhã.” — “You will have slept well”
- “É importante que eu durma bem.” — “It is important that I sleep well”
- “Dorme bem!” — “Sleep well!”
Common mistakes
1. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form
✗ Wrong: “Eu dormir bem.”
✓ Right: “Eu durmo bem todos os dias.”
The infinitive dormir never takes a subject. After eu you need the conjugated present form durmo.
2. Using the wrong person’s form
✗ Wrong: “Eu dormes bem.”
✓ Right: “Eu durmo bem todos os dias.”
dormes is the tu form, not the eu form. Match the verb to the subject every time: eu goes with durmo.
3. Using the present for a finished past action
✗ Wrong: “Eu durmo bem ontem.”
✓ Right: “Eu dormi bem ontem.”
Ontem points to the past, so the present is wrong here. Use the pretérito perfeito dormi for a finished action yesterday.
4. Using the wrong auxiliary in the pretérito perfeito composto
✗ Wrong: “Eu sou dormido bem.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho dormido bem esta semana.”
The pretérito perfeito composto of dormir is formed with ter plus the past participle dormido: the eu form is tenho dormido. Check the auxiliary in the table above before you build a perfect tense.
5. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
✗ Wrong: “É importante que eu durmo bem.”
✓ Right: “É importante que eu durma bem.”
After é importante que Portuguese needs the subjunctive, so use durma here, not the indicative durmo.
6. Using the gerund instead of the past participle in a perfect tense
✗ Wrong: “Eu tenho dormindo bem.”
✓ Right: “Eu tenho dormido bem esta semana.”
The perfect tenses need the past participle dormido, not the gerund dormindo. The gerund belongs in progressive constructions, never after an auxiliary in a perfect tense.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on dormir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
What is the eu form of dormir in the Present indicative (presente)?
- A) dormes
- B) durmo
- C) dorme
- D) dormimos
What is the ele/ela form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito?
- A) dormi
- B) dormiste
- C) dormiu
- D) dormimos
What is the nós form of dormir in the Pretérito imperfeito?
- A) dormia
- B) dormias
- C) dormíeis
- D) dormíamos
What is the tu form of dormir in the Futuro do presente?
- A) dormirás
- B) dormirei
- C) dormirá
- D) dormiremos
What is the eu form of dormir in the Futuro do pretérito?
- A) dormirias
- B) dormiria
- C) dormiríamos
- D) dormiríeis
What is the ele/ela form of dormir in the Pretérito perfeito composto?
- A) tenho dormido
- B) tens dormido
- C) tem dormido
- D) temos dormido
What is the ele/ela form of dormir in the Presente do subjuntivo?
- A) durmas
- B) durmamos
- C) durmais
- D) durma
What is the eu form of dormir in the Pretérito imperfeito do subjuntivo?
- A) dormisse
- B) dormisses
- C) dormíssemos
- D) dormísseis
What is the gerund of dormir?
- A) dormido
- B) dormindo
- C) dormir
- D) durmo
What does dormir mean in English?
- A) to be
- B) to have
- C) to sleep
- D) —
Answer key
- B) durmo — the correct form is durmo. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) dormiu — the correct form is dormiu. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) dormíamos — the correct form is dormíamos. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) dormirás — the correct form is dormirás. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) dormiria — the correct form is dormiria. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- C) tem dormido — the correct form is tem dormido. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- D) durma — the correct form is durma. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- A) dormisse — the correct form is dormisse. The other options are other forms of the same verb.
- B) dormindo — the correct form is dormindo. 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 dormir mean in English?
dormir means “to sleep”. It is a core everyday verb, so its present-tense forms are worth learning first.
Is dormir regular or irregular?
dormir is regular: it follows the ordinary -ir pattern in every tense. The gerund is dormindo and the past participle is dormido.
What are the gerund and past participle of dormir?
The gerund is dormindo — use it with estar for the progressive. The past participle is dormido — use it with ter for the perfect tenses, as in tenho dormido.
Which auxiliary does dormir take in the pretérito perfeito composto?
dormir takes ter in the pretérito perfeito composto: the eu form is tenho dormido. All seven compound tenses on this page are built with ter plus the past participle dormido.
How do I say “I sleep” in Portuguese?
Say “Eu durmo bem todos os dias.” — “I sleep well” The eu form of the present is durmo, and it is the form you will use most often.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of dormir — every tense of dormir in one place.
- Dormir in the pretérito perfeito tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Dormir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice questions for this verb.
- Portuguese pretérito perfeito tense guide — the full guide to the pretérito perfeito tense in Portuguese.
- Ir conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Vir conjugation — another everyday Portuguese verb.
- Portuguese verbs — the full hub of Portuguese conjugation pages.
- VerbFlow home — all languages, tools and verb lists.
- Verb Conjugator — practise dormir with the interactive tool.
- Conjugation Chart Printer — practise dormir with the interactive tool.
- Tense Finder — practise dormir with the interactive tool.