Breakdown of Non credo che gli squali dormano di notte.
non
not
di
of, from
dormire
to sleep
credere
to believe
Questions & Answers about Non credo che gli squali dormano di notte.
Why do we use the subjunctive dormano in this sentence?
How is dormano formed, and why does it end in "-ano" instead of "-ono"?
Dormano is the present subjunctive of dormire (to sleep) for the "they" form (loro). For regular -ire and -ere verbs, the present subjunctive endings swap the usual vowels. This means the "they" form takes the ending -ano instead of the regular present tense -ono.
Why doesn't dormire use the -isc- infix here, like some other -ire verbs do?
Unlike verbs like capire (which becomes capiscano in the subjunctive), dormire is a standard -ire verb that does not take the -isc- infix. You simply drop the -ire and add the subjunctive ending -ano directly to the stem.
Why do we say di notte instead of using a different preposition like a or in?