sono stanco
/ˈso.no ˈstan.ko/word by word
In Italian, the phrase "I am tired" is said as sono stanco.
This phrase is used to express that you feel a need to rest or sleep. While stanco primarily refers to physical or mental exhaustion, it can also be used figuratively to mean "fed up" when it is followed by the preposition di.
Which one should you use?
The phrase stanco describes being tired or weary. If you wish to express a much higher degree of exhaustion, you can use the phrase sono esausto for a male speaker or sono esausta for a female speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree with the gender of the person speaking. If the speaker is male, use sono stanco. If the speaker is female, the adjective must change to the feminine form: sono stanca.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ˈso.no ˈstan.ko/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- If you feel both physically and mentally exhausted, you can combine the concepts by saying you are stanco morto, which literally translates to 'tired dead'.
- Depending on the context, sono stanco can be used as a polite way to signal that you wish to end a conversation or leave a social gathering.
- Italian has a specific word stanchezza for tiredness, which is used in a common idiom la stanchezza mi vince meaning 'fatigue is winning over me'.
Examples in context
- Sono stanco di leggere.I am tired of reading.This sentence shows how to express being tired of a specific activity using sono stanco.Tatoeba #3114931 by Guybrush88, translation #259749 by CK
- Sono stanco di cantare.I am tired of singing.This sentence demonstrates the use of sono stanco when tired of an action.Tatoeba #7912524 by Guybrush88, translation #7910067 by adiante19
- Sono stanco dei compiti.I am tired of homework.This sentence shows how to use sono stanco to express being fed up with something like homework.Tatoeba #4735936 by Guybrush88, translation #258543 by CC
- Buongiorno, ho lavorato molto ieri sera e sono stanco/a oggi. Vorrei riposarmi un po'.Good morning, I worked a lot last night and I am tired today. I would like to rest a bit.
- Dopo una lunga giornata di riunioni, mi sento stanco/a e vorrei solo riposare.After a long day of meetings, I feel tired and just want to rest.
- Ho ballato tutta la notte ieri, sono stanco/a morto/a. Penso che rimarrò a letto tutto il giorno.I danced all night yesterday, I am dead tired. I think I will stay in bed all day.
- Sono stato a lavorare fino a tarda notte e ora sono distrutto/a. Ho bisogno di riposarmi prima di fare qualsiasi altra cosa.I was working until late at night, and now I am destroyed. I need to rest before doing anything else.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A quiet evening at home after a long day.
- GiuliaTi va di uscire?Do you feel like going out?
- FrancescoNo, scusa, sono stanco.No, sorry, I am tired.
- GiuliaVuoi andare a dormire?Do you want to go to sleep?
- FrancescoSì, ne ho proprio bisogno.Yes, I really need to.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (sono, stanco) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
