fatigué
/fa.ti.ɡe/
The English word 'tired' is translated into French as fatigué.
fatigué is used to describe someone who is in need of rest or sleep.
Meaning: in need of rest or sleep (adj)
Which one should you use?
While fatigué refers to physical or mental exhaustion, épuisé is a stronger term meaning 'exhausted' or 'worn out'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender with the subject, so use fatiguée if the person being described is female. The adjective takes the form fatigués when describing a group of men or a mixed-gender group. The adjective takes the form fatiguées when describing a group consisting only of females.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /fa.ti.ɡe/.
Did you know?
- To describe being 'dead tired', a French speaker might use the colloquial expression crevé, which literally translates to 'burst' or 'popped'.
- French has a specific term le coup de barre to describe that sudden, overwhelming feeling of tiredness that hits you all at once.
- In old French military terminology, fatigues referred to the chores and hard labor performed by soldiers.
Examples in context
- Il a l'air fatigué.He looks tired.This sentence shows how to use fatigué to describe how someone looks.Tatoeba #133212 by Micsmithel, translation #302947 by CK
- Il se sent fatigué.He feels tired.This sentence shows how to use fatigué to describe how someone feels.Tatoeba #761078 by sacredceltic, translation #8310932 by Ergulis
- Je suis si fatigué.I'm so tired.This sentence shows how to use fatigué to emphasize the level of tiredness.Tatoeba #7555002 by Aiji, translation #785435 by hrin
- Je suis fatigué(e) après cette longue journée de travail.I am tired after this long day of work.
- Après avoir couru un marathon, je suis complètement épuisé(e).After running a marathon, I am completely exhausted.
- Après une nuit blanche à étudier, je me sens las(se) ce matin.After an all-nighter studying, I feel weary this morning.
- Après cette soirée de fête, je suis vraiment crevé(e) !After this party, I am really exhausted!
- J'ai passé la nuit à travailler sur ce projet, je suis mort(e) de fatigue !I spent the night working on this project, I'm dead tired!
- 964 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are relaxing at home in the evening.
- LéaTu es fatigué, Hugo ?Are you tired, Hugo?
- HugoOui, je suis vraiment fatigué.Yes, I am really tired.
- LéaMoi aussi, je suis fatiguée.Me too, I am tired.
- HugoAllons nous coucher alors.Let's go to bed then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tired” translations and entries fatigué, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
