French word

endormir

Pronunciation

IPA/ɑ̃dɔʁmiʁ/

Meaning

  • verbput to sleep

Example

J'endors l'enfant après l'histoire.

I put the child to sleep after the story.

Illustration for endormir (put to sleep)

More examples

Elle arrive à endormir son bébé en chantant.

She manages to put her baby to sleep by singing.

Core concept

A calm person is guided from wakefulness into sleep by a caregiver's voice, touch, or soothing routine.

Common phrases

  • endormir un bébé

    put a baby to sleep

  • endormir quelqu'un

    put someone to sleep

  • endormir l'enfant

    put the child to sleep

Similar words

bercer: Rocking someone gently until they drift off to sleep.
calmer: Reducing anxiety or excitement so that calm returns.
mettre au lit: Preparing someone for bed and laying them down in bed.

Definition in French

Provoquer le sommeil chez quelqu'un; verbe transitif employé pour décrire l'action de calmer et d'endormir une personne, par exemple un enfant.

Word origin

Endormir comes from Old French endormir, formed with en- meaning 'into' or 'make' and dormir from Latin dormire.

Usage tips

  • Endormir is transitive, as in j'endors l'enfant, while s'endormir is pronominal for falling asleep oneself.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word