Definition
To sleep; to rest with your eyes closed and your body inactive.
Example
Necesito dormir ocho horas cada noche.
Show translation
I need to sleep eight hours every night.
Etymology
From Latin *dormīre* ("to sleep"), shared across the Romance family — compare Italian *dormire*, French *dormir*, Portuguese *dormir*. The Latin root also gives English "dormant" (sleeping, inactive) and "dormitory" (a place where people sleep).
Cultural note
The Spanish tradition of the **siesta** — a short midday nap — makes *dormir* culturally prominent. While long siestas are less common in modern urban Spain and Latin America than the stereotype suggests, a brief *dormidita* (little nap) after lunch remains widespread, especially in warmer regions. Note: *dormir* is an irregular o→ue stem-changing verb: *yo duermo*, *tú duermes*, but *nosotros dormimos*.