se fatiguer
The English phrase "get tired" is translated into French as se fatiguer.
This phrase is used to describe the process of becoming exhausted or losing energy following mental or physical effort.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the process and the state of exhaustion. Use se fatiguer to describe the process of becoming tired, while être fatigué is used to describe the state of already being tired.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you remove the reflexive pronoun se and use the verb fatiguer alone, it becomes a transitive verb meaning "to tire someone or something" (for example, Cela me fatigue for "That tires me").
Did you know?
- In casual French, the word crevé is often used instead of fatigué to mean 'exhausted', literally translating to 'punctured' like a tire.
- In many French-speaking cultures, instead of saying they are tired, people might use the expression avoir un coup de barre to describe a sudden, overwhelming wave of fatigue.
- In some French-speaking regions, the phrase être claqué is used as a slang alternative to being tired, which literally translates to 'being slapped'.
Examples in context
- J'ai passé une nuit blanche, je suis vraiment à plat aujourd'hui.I had a sleepless night, I am really drained today.
- Je suis complètement crevé(e)I am completely exhausted
- Je suis vraiment à platI am really drained
- Il se fatigue vite.He gets tired quickly.
- Il ne faut pas se fatiguer inutilement.You shouldn't get tired unnecessarily.
