In German
schlafen
Meaning: to sleep
Formal or informal? “Schlafen” is the everyday verb for sleep. For “to fall asleep”, use “einschlafen”, which is a separable verb.
Example sentences
IchschlafeachtStunden.
I sleep eight hours.
Schläfstdugut?
Do you sleep well?
DieKinderschlafenimBett.
The children sleep in the bed.
Grammar note
Regular endings: ich schlafe, du schläfst, er schläft, wir schlafen. The stem vowel changes from a to ä in the du and er forms, so “schläfst” and “schläft”.
Common mistake
Don't keep the a in the du and er forms. Say “du schläfst” and “er schläft”, not “du schlafst”.
Quick check
Which form is correct for “he sleeps” (er)?
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Keep learning German
Practise it in a lesson →Frequently asked questions
Why does “schlafen” change to “schläft”?
It's a stem-vowel change: the a becomes ä in the du and er forms, a feature of many common German verbs.
How do you say “to fall asleep” in German?
“Einschlafen”, a separable verb: “Ich schlafe schnell ein.”