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Conjugation Chart

“Dormirse” (to fall asleep) in the Imperfect Tense

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Understanding the Imperfect Tense of “Dormirse”

The Imperfect Tense of dormirse is used to describe actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past, for example, Me dormía temprano cuando era niño. (I used to fall asleep early when I was a child.)

Dormirse is a regular -ir verb, so its Imperfect Tense conjugations follow the typical pattern for that verb type.

How to Use Dormirse in the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense of dormirse is used to describe an ongoing or repeated action in the past, or to set the scene for another past action.

To fall asleep: For example, Cuando era niño, me dormía temprano. (When I was a child, I would fall asleep early.)

To be sleepy or drowsy: For example, Me dormía en clase porque no había dormido bien. (I was sleepy in class because I hadn’t slept well.)

To become numb or lose sensation (colloquial): For example, Se me dormía la pierna después de estar sentado mucho tiempo. (My leg would go numb after sitting for a long time.)

To miss an opportunity or let something slip by (idiomatic): For example, No te duermas, que esta oportunidad no se va a repetir. (Don’t miss it, this opportunity won’t come again.)

Real Life Examples of Dormirse in the Imperfect Tense

Cuando era niño, me dormía temprano los días de escuela. (When I was a child, I would fall asleep early on school days.)

Mi abuela se dormía en su sillón favorito todas las tardes. (My grandmother would fall asleep in her favorite armchair every afternoon.)

Durante las clases aburridas, me dormía sin darme cuenta. (During boring classes, I would fall asleep without realizing it.)

Después de trabajar todo el día, nos dormíamos apenas tocábamos la cama. (After working all day, we would fall asleep as soon as we touched the bed.)

En los viajes largos, el bebé se dormía en el auto. (On long trips, the baby would fall asleep in the car.)

Antes de terminar la película, te dormías en el sofá. (Before finishing the movie, you would fall asleep on the couch.)

Aunque intentaba quedarme despierto, me dormía durante las reuniones largas. (Although I tried to stay awake, I would fall asleep during long meetings.)

Después de una noche de insomnio, se dormía en cualquier lugar. (After a sleepless night, he would fall asleep anywhere.)

En la playa, nos dormíamos bajo el sol relajante. (At the beach, we would fall asleep under the relaxing sun.)

Cuando se dormían, los niños parecían ángeles. (When they fell asleep, the children looked like angels.)

Por más que intentaba, me dormía durante las clases de matemáticas. (No matter how hard I tried, I would fall asleep during math classes.)

Después de un día agotador, se dormía apenas tocaba la almohada. (After an exhausting day, she would fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.)

En los vuelos nocturnos, me dormía profundamente. (On overnight flights, I would fall into a deep sleep.)

Aunque intentaba resistir, se dormía durante los sermones largos. (Although he tried to resist, he would fall asleep during long sermons.)

Después de una fiesta larga, nos dormíamos en el camino a casa. (After a long party, we would fall asleep on the way home.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Dormirse (to fall asleep) in the Imperfect Tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Imperfect tense is also known as the Past Imperfect, Descriptive Past, Past Progressive, or Imperfect Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Copretérito, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Descriptivo in Spanish.