ich bin müde
The phrase "I am tired" in German is ich bin müde.
You use ich bin müde to state that you feel a need to sleep or rest. If you want to describe a more intense state of being completely exhausted, you would use ich bin erschöpft.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern Germany, particularly Bavaria, people say I bin hundsmiad to express exhaustion.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses bin, which is the first-person singular conjugation of the verb sein (to be). The adjective müde does not change its ending when used after the verb in this phrase.
Did you know?
- If you are extremely tired in a German professional setting, you might say you are kaputt, which literally means 'broken'.
- In German, the word müde can describe not just a need for sleep, but also a feeling of being weary or fed up with a situation.
- The English word 'be' is a distant relative of the German bin, both descending from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰew-.
Examples in context
- Ich bin müde vom Laufen.I am tired from walking.This sentence shows how to use ich bin müde to explain the cause of your tiredness.Tatoeba #729820 by Manfredo, translation #321962 by CM
- Nein, danke. Ich bin müde.No, thanks. I am tired.This sentence shows how to use ich bin müde as a polite refusal.Tatoeba #1401109 by samueldora, translation #456509 by lukaszpp
- Ich bin müde und will ins Bett.I am tired and I want to go to bed.This sentence shows how to use ich bin müde to express a desire to go to bed.Tatoeba #2630223 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #261411 by CK
- Entschuldigen Sie bitte, aber ich bin heute sehr müde. Kann ich mich kurz setzen?Excuse me, but I am very tired today. May I sit down for a moment?
- Ich habe die ganze Nacht für die Prüfung gelernt. Ich bin total kaputt!I studied all night for the exam. I am totally exhausted!
- Wir haben gestern so lange gefeiert, dass ich heute hundemüde bin.We partied so late yesterday that I am dog tired today.
- Die Arbeit war heute sehr stressig. Ich bin total fertig!Work was very stressful today. I am completely drained!
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are talking in the living room late at night.
- LauraIch bin müde.I am tired.
- MaximilianIch auch. Gehen wir schlafen?Me too. Shall we go to sleep?
- LauraJa, das ist eine gute Idee.Yes, that is a good idea.
- MaximilianGute Nacht, Laura.Good night, Laura.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ich bin müde, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bin, ich, müde, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
