Translation guide
The English phrase "be tired" can be expressed in Japanese through adjectives, verbs, and set phrases that convey physical fatigue, mental exhaustion, or being tired of something. The most common and versatile word is 疲れる (tsukareru).
Expressing general fatigue after exertion, work, or lack of sleep.
The standard verb for 'to get tired' or 'to be tired'. Used for both physical and mental fatigue. Often used in the past tense 疲れた to mean 'I'm tired'.
今日はとても疲れた。
I'm really tired today.
仕事で疲れている。
I'm tired from work.
A more casual, colloquial verb meaning 'to be worn out' or 'exhausted'. Often used in spoken Japanese.
ああ、くたびれた。
Ah, I'm beat.
An adjective describing a heavy, sluggish, or languid tiredness, often from illness or overexertion.
体がだるい。
My body feels heavy/tired.
Specifically means 'sleepy'. Use this when tiredness is due to lack of sleep.
眠くて仕方がない。
I'm so sleepy I can't help it.
Literally 'fatigue accumulates'. Used to describe built-up tiredness over time.
最近疲れがたまっている。
I've been accumulating fatigue lately.
Expressing being tired of a situation, activity, or person; having had enough.
Pattern: noun + に疲れる. Means 'to be tired of (something)'. The noun is the thing you are tired of.
人間関係に疲れた。
I'm tired of human relationships.
毎日の通勤に疲れている。
I'm tired of the daily commute.
A verb meaning 'to be fed up' or 'sick and tired'. Often used with 〜に.
彼の話にうんざりした。
I got tired of his stories.
Means 'to get bored' or 'tired of' something from repetition. Pattern: 〜に飽きる.
Expressing extreme tiredness, often physically.
A na-adjective or adverb meaning 'exhausted' or 'dead tired'. Often used after physical activity.
走った後でへとへとだ。
I'm exhausted after running.
Similar to へとへと, meaning 'worn out' or 'dog-tired'. Often used for mental exhaustion as well.
疲れた (tsukareta) means physically or mentally tired, while 眠い (nemui) means sleepy. If you are tired from lack of sleep, 眠い is more precise. If you are tired after exercise or work, use 疲れた.
疲れる is only for living things. To say something like 'tired shoes' or 'tired machine', use 古びた (furubita) or くたびれた (kutabireta) for objects, but these are less common.
勉強に疲れた。
I'm tired of studying.
彼女は疲れているように見える。
She looks tired.
I'm tired of eating the same food.
残業でくたくただ。
I'm worn out from overtime work.
A formal, four-character compound meaning 'utter exhaustion' or 'fatigue'. Used in written or formal contexts.
疲労困憊で倒れた。
I collapsed from exhaustion.