我很累
wo hen lei
To say "I am tired" in Chinese, use 我很累 (wo hen lei).
The phrase is used to state that one feels a lack of energy or needs rest. The core word 累 (lèi) specifically means "tired" or "fatigued." If you want to express extreme exhaustion colloquially, you can add 死了 (sǐ le) after the adjective to say 累死了 (tired to death).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 我很累 literally translates to "I very tired." In Chinese, the adverb 很 (hěn), meaning "very," is typically used to link a subject to an adjective instead of using a verb like "am."
Which one should you use?
While 我很累 indicates a lack of physical or mental energy, 我困了 should be used specifically if you mean "I am sleepy" and want to sleep. For extreme emphasis, you might use the expression 累得要死 (tired to death) or 累得半死 (half dead from tiredness).
How do you pronounce it?
wo hen lei
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the response 辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le) is a socially vital way to acknowledge someone's tiredness, as it frames their fatigue as a virtuous result of hard work.
- The word 累 (lèi) can function as a verb meaning 'to burden' or 'to cause trouble' for someone else. For example, one might say a complicated situation has 累及 (lěijí) others.
- In formal or written Chinese, 累 (lèi) can appear in the word 累积 (lěijī), meaning 'to accumulate', relating the feeling of tiredness to a build-up over time.
Examples in context
- 我很累。I am tired.This sentence is a simple statement of being tired.Tatoeba #397734 by GlossaMatik, translation #397714 by brauliobezerra
- 我很累, 然而, 我必須完成我的回家作業。I am tired, nevertheless, I must finish my homework.This sentence shows how to express being tired while stating a necessity to finish homework.Tatoeba #785170 by Martha, translation #261408 by Martha
- 朋友：你今天看起来很累，怎么了？
你：我昨晚加班到很晚，所以我很疲倦。Friend: You look tired today, what happened?
You: I worked overtime until late last night, so I am very tired. - 同事：你为什么这么累？
你：我整夜都在备考，熬夜到天明，现在是累成狗了。Colleague: Why are you so tired?
You: I was studying all night, stayed up until dawn, now I am tired like a dog. - 今天工作太忙了，我很累。Jīntiān gōngzuò tài máng le, wǒ hěn lèi.Work was too busy today, I am tired.
Example conversation
A husband and wife talking at home in the evening.
- 俊杰 Junjie梓涵，你今天怎么样？Zǐhán, nǐ jīntiān zěnmeyàng?Zihan, how was your day?
- 梓涵 Zihan我很累，想早点休息。Wǒ hěn lèi, xiǎng zǎodiǎn xiūxi.I am tired, I want to rest early.
- 俊杰 Junjie那我去准备晚餐吧。Nà wǒ qù zhǔnbèi wǎncān ba.Then I will go prepare dinner.
- 梓涵 Zihan谢谢你，俊杰。Xièxiè nǐ, Jùnjié.Thank you, Junjie.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
