 |
|
| Share / Tweet / Pin Me! | |
French Expression
| Meaning | to sleep like a baby, to rest easy | |
| Literally | to sleep on one’s two ears | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[duhr meer sur say deu zuh ray] |
| IPA | [dɔʁ miʁ syʁ se dœ zɔ ʁej] | |
Usage notes: The French expression dormir sur ses deux oreilles offers some great mental images: a head sandwiched between bed and pillow, a mattress curled up so that it’s pressing against both ears, maybe even an abnormal head with ears reaching for the bed. However you look at it, dormir sur ses deux oreilles can be used literally or figuratively to indicate that one is sleeping soundly, with nothing to worry about and no inherent danger.
Par exemple…
| Je prends une tisane le soir, et je dors toujours sur mes deux oreilles. | I have herbal tea in the evening, and always sleep like a baby. | |
| Il n’y a aucun danger – elle peut dormir sur ses deux oreilles. | There’s no danger – she can rest easy. |
Synonym: dormir tranquille
Semi-synonyms (to sleep well but without the nuance of safety)
- dormir à poings fermés – literally, "to sleep with hands fisted"
- dormir comme un loir – "to sleep like a dormouse"
- dormir comme une marmotte – "to sleep like a marmot"
- dormir comme une souche – "to sleep like a (tree) stump"
- dormir comme un sonneur – "to sleep like a bell ringer"
Antonymous expressions
- ne dormir que d’un œil – literally, "to sleep with one eye open"
- passer une nuit blanche – "to spend a white night"
Related lessons
Share / Tweet / Pin Me!
This free website is created with love and a great deal of work. If you love it, please consider making a 
There’s no secret recipe for fluency; indeed, it’s difficult to even find consensus on what “fluency” actually means. Is it the ability to have a conversation, or language proficiency equivalent to that of a native speaker?
You probably know that 14 July is Bastille Day, but do you know what it’s called in French? (Hint, it’s not “jour de Bastille.”) Do you know the history behind Bastille Day, or how it’s celebrated in France? This page has links to everything you could possibly want to know.