Chinese phrases
How to say tired in Chinese
Tired in Chinese is 累 (lèi) after work or effort, and 困 (kùn) when you are sleepy. 我好累 is “I’m so tired,” and 我困了 is “I’m sleepy.”
累
tired
Ways to say tired
累
Everydaytired
Tired after effort: a day at work, a long walk, a move. Usually 我很累 or 我累了.
好累
With friendsso tired
The sigh at the end of a long day. Often 好累啊.
困
Everydaysleepy
You want to sleep: you yawn, your eyes close. 我困了 at 11 p.m. means “I’m off to bed soon.”
累死了
With friendsexhausted
Literally “tired to death.” An everyday exaggeration, not dramatic. Also 累死我了.
心累
With friendsemotionally tired
Worn out by people or a situation, not by work: endless group chats, a hard relationship, the same argument again.
疲劳
Writtenfatigue; fatigued
In medical and official language, as in 疲劳驾驶, “driving while tired,” on road signs.
What to say to a tired friend
辛苦了
you’ve worked hard
Thanks someone for the effort that made them tired.
早点休息
get some rest early
The usual end of an evening chat with someone who is tired.
休息一下吧
take a break
In the middle of a task, a walk or a study session.
Common mistakes
累 when you mean sleepy
累 is tired from effort. 困 is wanting to sleep. After a lazy day on the sofa you are not 累, but late at night you can still be 困.
“Tired of” with 累
“I’m tired of noodles” is 我吃腻了, “I’ve had too much of it.” For a situation, say 我受够了, “I’ve had enough.” 累 does not mean “fed up.”
疲劳 in conversation
我很疲劳 sounds like a doctor’s note. To a friend, say 我很累 or 累死了.
After a long day
你怎么了？看起来很累。
Liangliang: What’s up? You look tired.
今天加班到十点，累死了。
Leon: I worked late until ten today. I’m exhausted.
辛苦了，早点休息吧。
Liangliang: You’ve worked hard. Get some rest.
嗯，我也困了。
Leon: Yeah, I’m sleepy too.
