Les enfants s'endorment tôt.

early

Breakdown of Les enfants s'endorment tôt.

• se: oneself
• l'enfant: the child
• s'endormir: to fall asleep

Questions & Answers about Les enfants s'endorment tôt.

What does the apostrophe in s'endorment indicate?

It’s the elision of the reflexive pronoun se before a vowel or mute h. se endorment becomes s'endorment. The elision is mandatory here.

Why is the verb reflexive here? What’s the difference between s'endormir and endormir?

• s'endormir = to fall asleep (the subject undergoes the action): L'enfant s'endort.
• endormir = to put someone to sleep (takes a direct object): La mère endort le bébé.

Can I say se dormir?

No. se dormir is not used in standard French. Use dormir for “to sleep” (state) and s'endormir for “to fall asleep” (the moment sleep begins). Related: se rendormir = to fall asleep again.

How is s'endorment formed and conjugated in the present?