Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| уста́вший | ustávšij | |
| уста́лый | ustályj | |
| утомлённый | utomljónnyj | [ʊtɐˈmlʲɵnːɨj] (narrow) |
In Russian, expressing that you are tired often involves using the past tense of the verb 'to become tired' rather than a simple adjective. In everyday conversation, speakers are much more likely to say Я уста́л (I became tired) to express their current state of fatigue than to use the adjective Я уста́лый.
Which one should you use?
The forms of the word differ based on the nuance of the fatigue: уста́лый is a pure adjective used to describe a general state of being tired, while уста́вший is a participle describing someone who has become tired due to a specific action. Additionally, утомлённый carries a much stronger connotation of being worn out, drained or weary compared to the standard уста́лый.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb to express being tired, the form changes based on the gender of the speaker. A male speaker says Я уста́л, while a female speaker says Я уста́ла.
How do you pronounce it?
ustávšij
Did you know?
- To express that you are 'exhausted' or 'dead tired', Russians often use the slang phrase я никакой, which literally means 'I am no one'.
- If you are extremely tired due to lack of sleep, Russians often use the word замотанный, which literally translates to being 'wound up' like a clock spring.
- If you are tired because you have been 'driven' or 'run around' by many tasks, you can say you are заезженный, which comes from the verb meaning 'to wear out a track' or 'to drive a horse to exhaustion'.
Examples in context
- Он всегда какой-то утомлённый, озабоченный, только глаза светятся тихим, серо-голубым светом.He's always somewhat tired and anxious, his eyes only shine a dim blue-gray light.This sentence is useful for seeing how утомлённый is used to describe a person's state.Tatoeba #2467490 by paul_lingvo, translation #2930734 by astyng
- Я очень усталI am very tired
- Мне совсем не терпится прилечьI can't wait to lie down
- Я вернулся с работы и устал как собака.I came back from work and I'm dog tired.
Example conversation
Dmitry and Anastasia are talking after a long day.
- Дмитрий DmitryТы выглядишь очень уста́вший, Дмитрий.Ty vyglyadish' ochen' ustavshiy, Dmitriy.You look very tired, Dmitry.
- Анастасия AnastasiaДа, я сегодня много работал.Da, ya segodnya mnogo rabotal.Yes, I worked a lot today.
- Дмитрий DmitryТебе нужно скорее отдохнуть.Tebe nuzhno skoreye otdokhnut'.You need to rest soon.
- Анастасия AnastasiaЯ сейчас пойду спать.Ya seychas poydu spat'.I'm going to sleep now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tired” translations and entries утомлённый, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
