Breakdown of Non credo che gli squali dormano di notte.
non
not
di
of, from
dormire
to sleep
credere
to believe
che
that (conjunction introducing a clause)
lo squalo
the shark
di notte
at night
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?
Di notte is a fixed, idiomatic expression that translates to "at night" or "during the night." Italian frequently uses the preposition di with parts of the day to describe when an action habitually takes place, just like di mattina (in the morning) or di sera (in the evening).
Learn Non credo che gli squali dormano di notte and more in Italian
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free