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Les enfants s'endorment tôt.

Les enfants s'endorment tôt.
The children fall asleep early.
FromLesson 24inHardcore French
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Breakdown of Les enfants s'endorment tôt.

tôt
early
se
oneself
l'enfant
the child
s'endormir
to fall asleep
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“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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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?

It’s the 3rd person plural of s'endormir. Present tense:

  • je m'endors
  • tu t'endors
  • il/elle/on s'endort
  • nous nous endormons
  • vous vous endormez
  • ils/elles s'endorment Note the stem change: singular forms and 3rd person plural use endors-/endort-/endorment, while nous/vous use endorm-.
Is the -ent ending in s'endorment pronounced?
No. The written ending -ent of 3rd person plural verbs is silent. s'endorment is pronounced roughly [sɑ̃dɔʁm].
How do you pronounce the whole sentence?
  • IPA: [lez‿ɑ̃fɑ̃ sɑ̃dɔʁm to]
  • Rough guide: lay zahn-fahn sahn-dorm toh Notes:
  • Liaison between les and enfants: [lez‿ɑ̃-].
  • No liaison between enfants and s'endorment.
  • tôt is [to]; the final -t is silent. The r in dor- is the French uvular r.
Do I need the circumflex accent in tôt?
Yes. tôt always has a circumflex on o. Writing tot is incorrect. In uppercase, accents are still used in French: TÔT.
What exactly does tôt mean? Any synonyms?

tôt means “early” (in time). Common alternatives:

  • de bonne heure (also “early,” a bit more idiomatic)
  • Intensifiers: très tôt (very early), assez tôt (fairly early)
Is tôt the same as plutôt?

No.

  • tôt = early (time): Ils arrivent tôt.
  • plutôt = rather/quite, or “instead”: C’est plutôt cher. / Viens lundi plutôt que mardi. Also, plus tôt (two words) means “earlier.”
Where should tôt go in the sentence?

With a simple present, it normally comes after the verb: Les enfants s'endorment tôt. With compound tenses, it most often goes after the past participle: Ils se sont endormis tôt. You may also hear Ils se sont tôt endormis, but it’s less common.

How do I make it negative?

Standard: Les enfants ne s'endorment pas tôt. In everyday speech, the ne is often dropped: Les enfants s'endorment pas tôt.

Why is it les enfants and not des enfants?
  • les enfants = “the children,” either a specific group or children in general (generic use).
  • des enfants = “some children,” an unspecified subset.
  • ces enfants = “these/those children.”
Is enfants masculine? Does it include girls?
Yes. enfants defaults to masculine plural for mixed/unspecified groups, so it includes girls. If you specifically mean girls: les filles.
Can I say Les enfants dorment tôt?

Not for the idea “go to sleep early.” dormir = “to sleep” (state), so Ils dorment tôt sounds odd. Prefer:

  • Ils se couchent tôt = They go to bed early (bedtime).
  • Ils s'endorment tôt = They fall asleep early (actual sleep onset).
How do I say it in the past or future?
  • Past (passé composé): Les enfants se sont endormis tôt. If all girls: Les filles se sont endormies tôt. (past participle agrees)
  • Near future: Les enfants vont s'endormir tôt.
How do I ask a yes/no question with this sentence?
  • Neutral: Est-ce que les enfants s'endorment tôt ?
  • Inversion (more formal): Les enfants s'endorment-ils tôt ?
  • Conversational: Les enfants s'endorment tôt ?
Are there any liaisons I should make?
Yes after the article: les enfants → [lez‿ɑ̃fɑ̃]. No liaison between enfants and s'endorment (don’t insert a [z]), and none before tôt.
Why not Les enfants sont endormis tôt?

être endormi describes a state (“to be asleep”), so adding tôt is odd. Use:

  • State now: Les enfants sont déjà endormis. (already asleep)
  • Action/time: Les enfants s'endorment tôt.
How do I tell someone to fall asleep early?

Use the imperative of s'endormir:

  • Endors-toi tôt ! (to one person you know)
  • Endormez-vous tôt ! (to a group or formally) Negative: Ne t'endors pas trop tard !
Does the present tense here imply a habit?
It can. Les enfants s'endorment tôt often means “The children (usually) fall asleep early.” The French present commonly covers habitual actions and general truths.