lelah
/ləˈlah/
The English word 'tired' is expressed in Indonesian as lelah.
Lelah is used to describe being in need of rest or sleep.
Meaning: in need of rest or sleep (adj)
Which one should you use?
While lelah is the standard term, you may encounter capek, which is a very common colloquial synonym used in daily conversation. If you specifically mean feeling sleepy or drowsy, use ngantuk instead. For a deeper sense of exhaustion, you can use the phrase Saya kelelahan.
How do you pronounce it?
/ləˈlah/
Did you know?
- In Indonesian slang, saying capek deh is a common idiomatic expression used to show resignation or frustration with someone's behavior, similar to the English 'I give up' or 'I can't even'.
- In some regional dialects influenced by Javanese, you might hear people use different words for 'tired' that do not exist in standard Indonesian, potentially causing confusion for travelers.
- Indonesians might use the word lelah figuratively to describe a situation, such as being 'tired' of a certain political or social condition, rather than just physical fatigue.
Examples in context
- Aku merasa sangat lelah.I feel really tired.This sentence is useful for expressing how you feel using lelah.Tatoeba #3934368 by Bilmanda, translation #2234726 by cjmanders
- Saya sudah sangat lelah.I'm so tired already.Tatoeba #11474356 by dbahasa, translation #7593078 by feudalism
- Aku lelah dengan hal ini.I'm tired of this.Tatoeba #4691761 by Bilmanda, translation #2549041 by CK
- Saya merasa lelahI feel tired
- Aku kapokI'm tired of it
- Aku capek sekaliI'm very tired
- 42 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Putri and Adi are walking home after a long day at school.
- PutriAdi, apakah kamu merasa lelah?Adi, do you feel tired?
- AdiYa, aku lelah sekali hari ini.Yes, I am very tired today.
- PutriAyo kita cepat pulang dan istirahat.Let's go home quickly and rest.
- AdiIde bagus, aku ingin segera tidur.Great idea, I want to sleep soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tired” translations and entries lelah, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
