Everyday Chinese phrase

I Am Tired in Chinese: 我很累, 我累了 & 我很困

我很累 (wǒ hěn lèi) means “I am very tired”. 我累了 reports that tiredness has set in. But if you mean sleepy rather than weary, Chinese uses a different word: 困 (kùn).

Tired 我很累 wǒ hěn lèiSleepy 我很困 wǒ hěn kùnDead tired 累死了 lèi sǐ le

Quick answer: 累 is tired, 困 is sleepy

English “tired” covers two different states, and Chinese separates them. 累 (lèi) is tired from exertion — after work, sport, travel or a long day. 困 (kùn) is sleepy — you need to sleep, and you might yawn or have trouble keeping your eyes open. Choosing the wrong one is one of the most common beginner mistakes in Chinese.

If someone asks you why you are quiet at a party, 我很累 explains a long day. If you are falling asleep at your desk, 我很困 is the accurate word. 有点困 means “a bit sleepy”.

Chinese words for tired, sleepy and exhausted
Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning	Register and use
累	lèi	Tired from exertion	Everyday; the default word
困	kùn	Sleepy	Everyday; you need sleep
我很累	wǒ hěn lèi	I am very tired	States the degree
我累了	wǒ lèi le	I am tired now	States the change
累死了	lèi sǐ le	I am dead tired	Casual intensifier
疲惫	píbèi	Exhausted	Formal and written
疲劳	píláo	Fatigue	Formal, medical or technical

我很累 versus 我累了

The same 了 pattern that applies to hunger applies here. 我很累 states a degree: I am very tired. 我累了 reports a change of state: I have become tired, I am tired now. When you arrive home after a long day and want to signal that the day has caught up with you, 我累了 is the natural line.

Both are extremely common and neither is more correct. The 很 in 我很累 is not really “very” in the emphatic English sense — it is the standard linker that makes a bare adjective work as a predicate. 我累 would sound abrupt.

累死了 and the 死了 pattern

累死了 (lèi sǐ le) literally means “tired to death” and is the ordinary way to say “I am exhausted”. It belongs to a whole family: 饿死了 (starving), 忙死了 (ridiculously busy), 热死了 (boiling), 冷死了 (freezing). The structure is adjective plus 死了, and it is casual rather than alarming.

Do not use it in formal writing. 非常疲惫 or 非常累 fits a report or an email.

累 has a second reading that changes the meaning

The same character 累 is also read lěi, and in that reading it means to accumulate, pile up or involve. 累积 (lěijī) means to accumulate, 累计 (lěijì) means cumulative, and 连累 (liánlěi) means to implicate someone else. The tone and the meaning are different, and the correct reading depends on the word.

This matters for reading aloud and for looking the character up. A dictionary entry for 累 will list both readings, and the tired sense belongs to the fourth tone lèi.

What it does not mean

累 does not mean bored, and it does not mean lazy. It does not mean exhausted in a medical sense; 疲劳 and 疲惫 are the formal words for that. 困 means sleepy but not tired from work, and it does not mean “trapped” in modern usage even though the classical meaning of 困 was to be surrounded or besieged.

Common mistakes

Using 累 when you mean sleepy, where 困 is correct.
Saying 我累 instead of 我很累 or 我累了.
Reading 累 as lèi in 累积, where it is lěi.
Using 累死了 in a formal message.
Assuming 困 means trapped; in everyday modern Chinese it means sleepy.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say I am tired in Chinese?

我很累 (wǒ hěn lèi) states the degree and 我累了 (wǒ lèi le) reports that tiredness has set in. Both are natural.

What is the difference between 累 and 困?

累 is tired from exertion. 困 is sleepy — you need sleep. English “tired” covers both, Chinese keeps them apart.

How do you say I am exhausted in Chinese?

累死了 (lèi sǐ le) is the casual form. 非常疲惫 or 非常累 are the formal equivalents.

Does 累 have another pronunciation?

Yes. 累 is read lěi in words such as 累积 (accumulate) and 连累 (implicate), and lèi in the tired sense.

Is 我很累 the same as 我很困?

No. 我很累 means you are worn out; 我很困 means you are sleepy and need to sleep.

What does 累死了 mean?

累死了 (lèi sǐ le) means “dead tired” or “tired to death”. It is very casual and exaggerated, fine with friends but too loose for a formal message.

What does 心累 mean?

心累 (xīn lèi) means emotionally tired — worn down by feelings, people or a situation rather than by physical work. It is very common in online and casual speech.

Does 累 have another reading?

Yes. 累 is lèi (fourth tone) for tired, but lěi (third tone) in words such as 积累 (jīlěi, to accumulate) and 累计 (lěijì, cumulative). The reading changes the meaning.

How do you say I am sleepy in Chinese?

我困了 (wǒ kùn le) means “I’m sleepy”. 困 is the right word when the problem is wanting to sleep rather than physical tiredness from work.

What does 辛苦了 mean?

辛苦了 (xīnkǔ le) means “you’ve worked hard” and is said to appreciate someone else’s effort. It is not a way to say “I’m tired”; saying 我辛苦了 about yourself sounds odd.

How do you reply when someone says they are tired?

我也是 (wǒ yě shì) means “me too”, 快休息吧 (kuài xiūxi ba) means “go rest”, and 早点休息 (zǎo diǎn xiūxi) means “rest early” — the standard warm sign-off in messages.

Tired, sleepy, exhausted or fed up?

累, 困, 疲倦 and 心累 are not the same kind of tired

English “tired” covers physical tiredness, sleepiness, exhaustion and emotional fatigue. Chinese separates them: 累 (lèi) is the general tired, 困 (kùn) is sleepy, 疲倦 (píjuàn) and 疲惫 (píbèi) are formal or strong fatigue, and 心累 (xīn lèi) is emotionally worn out.

Which “tired” fits the situation
Chinese	Pinyin	Kind of tired	When it fits
累	lèi	General tired	The default word. Covers physical tiredness and overwork, and works in most everyday sentences.
困	kùn	Sleepy	You want to sleep. 我困了 means “I’m sleepy”, not “I’m physically exhausted”.
疲倦	píjuàn	Wearied (formal / written)	Formal or written fatigue. It suits reports, essays and health descriptions more than casual chat.
疲惫	píbèi	Deeply exhausted	Stronger than 累 and a little formal. Often used for long-term or total exhaustion.
累坏了	lèi huài le	Tired out (result)	The 坏 result complement means “worn out from tiredness”. Slightly emphatic but still casual.
累死了	lèi sǐ le	Dead tired	Very casual and exaggerated. Fine with friends; too loose for a formal message.
好累	hǎo lèi	So tired	A short spoken complaint. 好 here means “so” or “very”, not “good”.
心累	xīn lèi	Emotionally tired	“My heart is tired” — worn down by feelings, people or a situation rather than by physical work.
辛苦了	xīnkǔ le	You’ve worked hard	Not a way to say “I’m tired”. It is what you say to appreciate someone else’s effort.

The most common learner error is mixing 累 and 困. If someone cannot keep their eyes open, the natural line is 我困了; if someone has worked all day and their body aches, it is 我很累 or 累死了. Both can be true at once, and then Chinese often says 又累又困.

Sentence patterns

我很累 versus 我累了: state versus change

Both sentences are natural, but they answer different questions. 我很累 states a present degree of tiredness; 我累了 marks that tiredness has arrived or built up. Add 了 and the sentence looks at the change; use 很 and it looks at the level.

Ways to say “I’m tired”
Chinese	Pinyin	Feeling	Note
我很累	wǒ hěn lèi	I’m very tired	A plain statement of degree. 很 is the normal link before an adjective, not necessarily “very”.
我累了	wǒ lèi le	I’m tired now	The 了 marks a change: the tiredness has set in. Natural when you want to stop or rest.
我累了，想休息	wǒ lèi le, xiǎng xiūxi	I’m tired and want to rest	A complete, polite sentence for work, class or travel.
我好累	wǒ hǎo lèi	I’m so tired	Emotional and spoken. The 好 adds emphasis.
我快累死了	wǒ kuài lèi sǐ le	I’m about to drop	快 means “almost”. Very casual and dramatic.
我有点儿累	wǒ yǒudiǎnr lèi	I’m a bit tired	有点儿 softens the complaint. Useful when you do not want to sound dramatic.
我不太累	wǒ bú tài lèi	I’m not very tired	Negation with 不太. 不 is read bú before the fourth-tone 太.
你累吗？	nǐ lèi ma	Are you tired?	The 吗 question form. The answer can be 有一点儿 or 不累.

When you reply to someone who says they are tired, 我也是 (wǒ yě shì, me too) is friendly, 快休息吧 (kuài xiūxi ba, go rest) is caring, and 早点休息 (zǎo diǎn xiūxi, rest early) is the standard warm sign-off in messages.

Pinyin, tones and the second reading

累 is lèi for tired — and lěi in 积累

累 has two common readings. As a standalone word for tired it is lèi (fourth tone). In words such as 积累 (jīlěi, to accumulate) and 累计 (lěijì, cumulative), it is lěi (third tone). Getting this wrong is a quick way to look like you have never met the character before.

“I’m tired” phrases: pinyin, tones and simplified or traditional forms
简体	繁体	拼音	Tone and usage note
累	累	lèi	Fourth tone for tired. Third tone lěi only in words such as 积累 and 累计.
我很累	我很累	wǒ hěn lèi	Third + third + fourth tone. Two third tones in a row shift in speech: wó hén lèi.
我累了	我累了	wǒ lèi le	Third + fourth + neutral tone. The 了 is unstressed.
困	困	kùn	Fourth tone. Sleepy, not generally tired.
疲倦	疲倦	píjuàn	Second + fourth tone. Formal or written fatigue; 倦 is unchanged in both systems.
疲惫	疲憊	píbèi	Second + fourth tone. 惫 becomes 憊 in traditional writing.
心累	心累	xīn lèi	First + fourth tone. Emotional tiredness, very common online.
辛苦了	辛苦了	xīnkǔ le	First + third + neutral tone. Said to thank someone for hard work, not to describe yourself.
休息	休息	xiūxi	First + neutral tone. 息 is unstressed; the word means to rest or take a break.

Note the tone change in 我很累: two third tones in a row (我 hěn) means the first is spoken as a second tone, so it sounds like wó hén lèi. This is the same sandhi rule behind 你好 being heard as ní hǎo.

Common mistakes

Five ways “I’m tired” goes wrong

Saying 我困 because you are physically tired. 困 means sleepy. Use 累 for general tiredness and 困 only when you want to sleep.
Using 辛苦了 about yourself. 辛苦了 appreciates someone else’s effort. Saying 我辛苦了 about your own day sounds odd.
Reading 累 as lěi when it means tired. Tired is lèi. The lěi reading belongs to 积累 and 累计.
Treating 累死了 as polite. It is casual and dramatic. In a formal or professional message, 我很累 or 我有些疲倦 fits better.
Forgetting the 了 in 我累了. Without 了 the sentence can sound like a general statement; with 了 it says the tiredness has arrived, which is usually the intended meaning.

Related guides

Nearby everyday phrases

Keep the tired phrases with the rest of the day. Use the how-are-you guide for the question that often comes first, the I’m-fine guide for the neutral reply, the I’m-busy guide for the related excuse, and the everyday phrase guide for the full set.

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Related everyday phrases

I am tired 我很累 sits among these expressions, but the polite or natural choice still depends on the relationship, time of day and whether the setting is spoken or written.

I am fine 我很好 I love you 我爱你 I miss you 我想你 Beautiful 漂亮 Good luck 加油 I am hungry 我饿了 I am busy 我很忙 All everyday Chinese phrases Classical phrases and everyday expressions