cansarse
/kanˈsaɾse/
To get tired in Spanish is cansarse.
The phrase is used to describe the process of becoming exhausted or losing energy after physical or mental effort. When you want to say you are getting tired of a specific situation or person, you use the form cansarse de (for example, cansarse de algo).
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the process and the state. Use cansarse to describe the act of getting tired, but use estar cansado to describe the state of already being tired.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, a common expression used to convey being extremely tired or 'shattered' is Estoy reventado/a.
How does it change in a sentence?
Cansarse is a reflexive verb, which means you must use reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) to show that the subject is the one undergoing the change of state. For example, the third person singular past tense is se cansó (he/she/it got tired).
How do you pronounce it?
/kanˈsaɾse/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, people use the verb fundirse to describe being exhausted. This word literally means 'to melt' or 'to blow a fuse', comparing a tired person to a failed electrical component.
- While cansarse is the standard term, Spanish speakers often use the phrase quedarse sin pilas to say they are getting tired, which literally means 'to run out of batteries'.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, you might hear someone say they are muerto/a, which literally translates to 'dead' but is used colloquially to mean they are incredibly tired.
Examples in context
- A Eugenio no le gustaba levantar pesas ni hacer abdominales, ni cansarse en general, así que su entrenador personal lo tuvo complicado para encontrar una forma de hacerle perder peso.Eugenio didn't like lifting weights or doing sit-ups, or get tired at all, so it was a struggle for his personal trainer to find a way to make him lose weight.This example shows someone who does not like to get tired through physical exercise.Tatoeba #10202133 by Shishir, translation #10203013 by DJ_Saidez
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cansarse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
