Dormir is undoubtedly the most common and straightforward way to say 'to sleep' in French. But just like in English, where we have phrases like 'hit the hay,' 'catch some Zs,' or 'nod off,' French offers a rich vocabulary for talking about rest and slumber. Learning these alternatives will not only expand your vocabulary but also make your conversations sound much more natural and nuanced, whether you're describing a deep sleep or just a quick catnap. Let's dive into 9 different ways to say 'to sleep' in French!

The standard 'to sleep' – dormir

The standard “to sleep” – dormir

The verb dormir is the most common and direct way to say “to sleep” in French. It’s a fundamental verb for daily life.

While dormir ends in -ir, it’s not a perfectly regular -ir verb like finir. It belongs to a group of verbs that drop the -m- in the singular present tense, but its conjugation is still quite predictable.

Here’s how dormir is conjugated in the present tense:<ul><li>Je dors (I sleep)</li><li>Tu dors (You sleep - informal singular)</li><li>Il/Elle/On dort (He/She/One sleeps)</li><li>Nous dormons (We sleep)</li><li>Vous dormez (You sleep - formal singular/plural)</li><li>Ils/Elles dorment (They sleep)</li></ul>

You use dormir for the literal act of sleeping, whether it’s for a short nap or a full night’s rest. It’s straightforward and applicable in most contexts.

When forming compound tenses like the Passé Composé (past tense), dormir uses avoir as its auxiliary verb. Its past participle is dormi. For example, J’ai dormi (I slept).

For children or in a very affectionate context, you might hear faire dodo (to go to sleep/sleepy-byes). This is an informal, cute way to refer to sleeping.

To express sleeping very soundly, the French say dormir à poings fermés (to sleep with closed fists), which translates to “to sleep like a log” or “to sleep very deeply.”

It’s crucial not to confuse dormir (to sleep) with s'endormir (to fall asleep). S'endormir is a reflexive verb describing the action of falling into sleep, while dormir describes the state of being asleep. For instance, Je me suis endormi à minuit (I fell asleep at midnight) vs. J’ai dormi huit heures (I slept eight hours).

Dormir is your essential verb for discussing sleep in French, covering everything from the act itself to related expressions. Master its conjugation and the distinction with s'endormir, and you’ll be well on your way!

💡 * Je dors bien la nuit. (I sleep well at night.)

Tu dors encore ? Il est midi ! (Are you still sleeping? It’s noon!)

Nous avons dormi dans un hôtel confortable. (We slept in a comfortable hotel.)

Les enfants dorment à poings fermés. (The children are sleeping soundly.)

Il faut faire dodo maintenant. (It’s time to go to sleep now - informal/childish.)

To fall asleep – s'endormir

The verb s'endormir is essential for expressing the action of 'to fall asleep' in French. It describes the transition from being awake to entering sleep.

As indicated by the 's'' prefix, s'endormir is a pronominal (or reflexive) verb. This means it's conjugated with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject, indicating the action is performed by the subject upon themselves.

While reflexive, the base verb endormir is an irregular -ir verb, similar to dormir. In the passé composé, it uses être as its auxiliary verb, and the past participle endormi must agree in gender and number with the subject when used with être.

It's crucial not to confuse s'endormir with dormir. While dormir means 'to sleep' (the state of being asleep), s'endormir specifically refers to the process or moment of falling asleep. Think of it as 'to get oneself to sleep'.

You would use s'endormir when talking about the moment sleep takes over, whether it's intentionally going to bed or accidentally drifting off. For example, 'I fall asleep easily' or 'He fell asleep in front of the TV'.

Without the reflexive pronoun, the verb endormir (transitive) means 'to put someone/something to sleep' or 'to numb'. For instance, 'Le médecin l'a endormi pour l'opération' (The doctor put him to sleep for the operation).

💡 *Je m'endors toujours en lisant un livre. (I always fall asleep while reading a book.)
*Elle s'est endormie sur le canapé après une longue journée. (She fell asleep on the sofa after a long day.)
*Ne t'endors pas pendant le film, il est excellent! (Don't fall asleep during the movie, it's excellent!)
*Les enfants s'endorment facilement quand ils sont fatigués. (Children fall asleep easily when they are tired.)
*Le bruit de la pluie m'aide à m'endormir. (The sound of the rain helps me fall asleep.)

The informal 'go to sleep' (for children) – faire dodo

The informal "go to sleep" (for children) – faire dodo

Faire dodo is a charmingly informal French expression used primarily when speaking to or about young children, meaning "to go to sleep" or "to sleep."

This phrase is almost exclusively reserved for infants, toddlers, and young children, or by adults speaking to them in a gentle, reassuring tone. It's akin to saying "sleepy-time" or "go night-night" in English.

The verb faire means "to do" or "to make," and dodo is a reduplicative, childlike word for "sleep." Together, they form a common and endearing idiom.

While faire dodo is perfectly natural and common in a familial context, it would sound odd or even condescending if used when speaking to an adult about their sleep. For adults, you would typically use verbs like dormir (to sleep) or aller au lit (to go to bed).

You might also hear just dodo used as a noun, as in "C'est l'heure du dodo" ("It's bedtime"). Sometimes, "faire un dodo" can be heard, meaning "to have a nap."

💡 * Il est temps de faire dodo, mon petit. (It's time to go to sleep, my little one.)

Les bébés font dodo dans leur lit. (The babies are sleeping in their beds.)

Tu as bien fait dodo cette nuit ? (Did you sleep well last night?)

Allez, au dodo ! (Come on, to bed!)

To take a nap or 'catch some Zs' – piquer un somme

To describe the act of taking a nap or 'catching some Zs' in French, you'll often hear the idiomatic expression piquer un somme.

Literally, piquer means 'to prick' or 'to steal,' and somme refers to a 'nap' or 'sleep.' Together, it colloquially means 'to steal a nap' or 'to grab some sleep.'

This expression is highly informal and commonly used in everyday conversation. It implies a short, often spontaneous, period of sleep.

When using piquer un somme, the verb piquer is conjugated like a regular -er verb according to the subject, while un somme remains unchanged.

💡 * Je vais piquer un somme. (I'm going to take a nap.)

Il a piqué un somme après le déjeuner. (He took a nap after lunch.)

Tu devrais piquer un petit somme. (You should catch a little nap.)

Elle est fatiguée, elle a besoin de piquer un somme. (She's tired, she needs to take a nap.)

To go to bed (implying sleep) – se coucher

The French verb se coucher directly translates to "to go to bed" and specifically implies the act of getting into bed for the purpose of sleeping.

This is a very common and natural way to express going to bed in French, used in everyday conversation across various registers.

As indicated by the 'se', se coucher is a pronominal verb, meaning it requires a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) that agrees with the subject.

It conjugates like a regular -er verb, but remember to include the correct reflexive pronoun before the conjugated verb, e.g., je me couche, tu te couches, il/elle/on se couche.

While aller au lit also means "to go to bed," se coucher more strongly emphasizes the intention to sleep. You might aller au lit to read, but you vous couchez when you're settling in for the night.

💡 * Je me couche tôt ce soir. (I'm going to bed early tonight.)

Tu devrais te coucher, il est tard. (You should go to bed, it's late.)

Elle se couche toujours après avoir lu un livre. (She always goes to bed after reading a book.)

Nous nous couchons vers 22h. (We go to bed around 10 PM.)

Les enfants se sont couchés il y a une heure. (The children went to bed an hour ago.)

To sleep soundly or deeply – dormir à poings fermés

The French idiom dormir à poings fermés literally translates to 'to sleep with closed fists.' This vivid expression means 'to sleep soundly,' 'to sleep deeply,' or 'to sleep like a log.'

The phrase conjures the image of someone in such profound sleep that their hands are gently clenched, often associated with the peaceful, deep slumber of a baby. It signifies complete relaxation and undisturbed rest.

You'll use dormir à poings fermés to describe someone who is utterly exhausted and sleeping incredibly well, often after a tiring day, intense physical activity, or simply when they've finally found peace. It emphasizes the quality and depth of their sleep.

While dormir bien (to sleep well) is a general statement, dormir à poings fermés specifically highlights the depth and soundness of sleep, implying an almost unshakeable rest. It's a more emphatic way to describe truly deep sleep.

💡 * Après cette longue randonnée, il a dormi à poings fermés toute la nuit. (After that long hike, he slept soundly all night.)

Les enfants étaient tellement épuisés qu'ils ont dormi à poings fermés. (The children were so exhausted they slept deeply.)

Je n'ai pas pu dormir à poings fermés à cause du bruit. (I couldn't sleep soundly because of the noise.)

Elle a besoin de dormir à poings fermés pour récupérer. (She needs to sleep deeply to recover.)

To close one's eye (often meaning to sleep) – fermer l'œil

The French expression fermer l'œil literally translates to “to close one’s eye.” However, it is most commonly used idiomatically to mean to sleep.

While you can literally close your eye (fermer son œil), when used in the singular with the definite article l'œil, fermer l'œil specifically refers to the act of sleeping, often implying a short nap or getting some rest.

This idiom is particularly frequent in negative constructions, such as ne pas fermer l'œil de la nuit, which means “to not sleep a wink all night.” It conveys the idea of being unable to get any rest.

💡 * J'étais tellement fatigué que j'ai fermé l'œil pendant le film. (I was so tired that I fell asleep during the movie.)

Elle n'a pas fermé l'œil de la nuit à cause du bruit. (She didn't sleep a wink all night because of the noise.)

Si tu es fatigué, va fermer l'œil un instant. (If you're tired, go get some rest for a moment.)

Après une longue journée, tout ce que je veux, c'est fermer l'œil. (After a long day, all I want is to close my eyes/sleep.)

The poetic 'to be in the arms of Morpheus' – être dans les bras de Morphée

The phrase être dans les bras de Morphée literally translates to “to be in the arms of Morpheus” and is a beautiful, poetic way to say “to be fast asleep” or “to be sound asleep.”

Morpheus is the Greek god of dreams, known for his ability to appear in human form in dreams. Thus, being in his arms implies a deep, peaceful sleep, often accompanied by dreams and a profound unconsciousness.

This expression is frequently used in a slightly literary or poetic context, implying not just sleep, but a truly undisturbed slumber. It conveys a sense of peacefulness and often a complete detachment from the waking world.

While elegant and poetic, it's a relatively common idiom in French, understood by most native speakers. It offers a more vivid and evocative alternative to simply saying "dormir profondément" (to sleep deeply).

💡 * Il doit être dans les bras de Morphée, il ne répond pas au téléphone. (He must be fast asleep, he's not answering the phone.)

Après une longue journée, elle était rapidement dans les bras de Morphée. (After a long day, she was quickly in the arms of Morpheus.)

Laissez-le tranquille, il est dans les bras de Morphée. (Leave him alone, he's fast asleep.)

Les enfants sont déjà dans les bras de Morphée. (The children are already sound asleep.)

To sleep in or 'have a lie-in' – faire la grasse matinée

The most common and idiomatic way to say "to sleep in" or "to have a lie-in" in French is faire la grasse matinée.

Literally, faire means "to do/make", la grasse means "the fat/greasy", and matinée means "morning". So, it's like "to do the fat morning", which refers to the luxurious feeling of sleeping late, indulging in extra rest.

Since faire la grasse matinée is a fixed expression, you conjugate the verb faire according to the subject and tense. For example, "I sleep in" would be Je fais la grasse matinée.

This expression is typically used for sleeping late on purpose, usually on weekends or holidays, not because you're sick or exhausted. It implies enjoyment and relaxation.

💡 *Le dimanche, j'aime faire la grasse matinée. (On Sundays, I like to sleep in.)
*Nous avons fait la grasse matinée ce matin. (We slept in this morning.)
*Tu vas faire la grasse matinée demain ? (Are you going to sleep in tomorrow?)
*Elle rêve de faire la grasse matinée tout le weekend. (She dreams of sleeping in all weekend.)
*Après une longue semaine, faire la grasse matinée est un vrai plaisir. (After a long week, sleeping in is a real pleasure.)

Are there other ways to say 'to sleep' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'to sleep' in French. But French is rich with expressions, from formal ones, to playful ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire dormir en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms or expressions for dormir on various lists. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about sleeping.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different states of sleep, or expressions related to sleeping in French, the WordReference entry for dormir is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s a fitting thought to finish it with, courtesy of a French proverb: Qui dort dîne. (He who sleeps, dines / Sleep is as good as a meal.)

9 ways to say "to sleep" in French