Tsukareta: the basic way to say I'm tired
疲れる (tsukareru) means to become tired. Because it describes a change of state, Japanese uses the past form, 疲れた (tsukareta), for "I'm tired" right now. Think of it as "I've got tired" rather than "I was tired".
The te-iru form, 疲れている (tsukarete iru), describes an ongoing state, often one that has built up over days: "I've been tired lately". In polite speech these become tsukaremashita and tsukarete imasu. Ā, tsukareta, said with a sigh when you sit down, is one of the most common phrases in daily life.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| あー、疲れた。 | Ā, tsukareta. | Ah, I'm tired. |
| 疲れました。 | Tsukaremashita. | I'm tired. (polite) |
| 最近ちょっと疲れています。 | Saikin chotto tsukarete imasu. | I've been a bit tired lately. |
| 今日は本当に疲れた。 | Kyō wa hontō ni tsukareta. | I'm really tired today. |
| 疲れてない？ | Tsukarete nai? | Aren't you tired? |
| この仕事は疲れる。 | Kono shigoto wa tsukareru. | This job is tiring. |
Saying why you're tired
Adding a reason makes your Japanese sound much more natural, and it is the easiest way to keep "I'm tired" from sounding like a complaint. The te-form or kara and node before tsukareta do the work.
Tsukare can also be a noun, tiredness, which gives you useful expressions about tiredness building up or not going away.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 残業が続いて疲れています。 | Zangyō ga tsuzuite tsukarete imasu. | I'm tired from a run of overtime. |
| 歩きすぎて疲れた。 | Arukisugite tsukareta. | I walked too much and I'm tired. |
| 昨日あまり寝られなかったので。 | Kinō amari nerarenakatta node. | Because I couldn't sleep much last night. |
| 疲れがたまっています。 | Tsukare ga tamatte imasu. | Tiredness has built up. |
| なかなか疲れが取れない。 | Nakanaka tsukare ga torenai. | I can't shake off the tiredness. |
| 目が疲れた。 | Me ga tsukareta. | My eyes are tired. |
Kutakuta, hetoheto and guttari: completely worn out
Japanese onomatopoeia gives you vivid ways to say exhausted. くたくた (kutakuta) and へとへと (hetoheto) both mean worn out, and are usually used with ni naru or with da. Kutakuta can also describe clothes that are worn and limp, which captures the image well.
ぐったり (guttari) describes someone limp and drained, often from heat, illness or a long ordeal. 疲れ果てた (tsukarehateta) is a stronger, more written-sounding "utterly exhausted". バテる (bateru) is casual for running out of steam, especially in heat: 夏バテ (natsu-bate) is summer fatigue.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| もうくたくた。 | Mō kutakuta. | I'm completely worn out. |
| 一日中歩いてへとへとになった。 | Ichinichijū aruite hetoheto ni natta. | I walked all day and I'm exhausted. |
| 暑さでぐったりしている。 | Atsusa de guttari shite iru. | I'm wiped out by the heat. |
| 疲れ果てました。 | Tsukarehatemashita. | I'm utterly exhausted. |
| もうバテた。 | Mō bateta. | I'm out of steam already. |
| 夏バテ気味です。 | Natsu-bate gimi desu. | I'm feeling a bit run down from the summer heat. |
Darui, shindoi and nemui: different kinds of tired
だるい (darui) is a heavy, sluggish feeling in the body, often the first sign of a cold. Karada ga darui is a common way to say "I feel run down", including at a clinic. Casually, darui also means something is a drag.
しんどい (shindoi) means tough, tiring or hard to bear, physically or emotionally. It started in Kansai but is used widely now. 眠い (nemui), or the softer 眠たい (nemutai), means sleepy, which is different from tired. 寝不足 (nebusoku) means short of sleep.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| なんか体がだるい。 | Nanka karada ga darui. | I feel kind of sluggish. |
| 今週はしんどかった。 | Konshū wa shindokatta. | This week was tough. |
| 眠い。 | Nemui. | I'm sleepy. |
| 寝不足で頭が回らない。 | Nebusoku de atama ga mawaranai. | I'm so short of sleep I can't think straight. |
| Word | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 疲れた | Tired, worn out | General, any situation |
| くたくた / へとへと | Exhausted | After a long day, casual |
| だるい | Heavy, sluggish | Feeling unwell, or a drag |
| しんどい | Tough, draining | Hard work or a hard week |
| 眠い | Sleepy | Wanting to sleep |
| 寝不足 | Short of sleep | Explaining why you're tired |
If darui comes with a fever or other symptoms, the vocabulary for clinics and for calling in sick becomes more useful than tiredness words; our guide to calling in sick covers the work side.
Mentally tired and tired of something
Japanese has a specific word for the exhaustion that comes from social effort: 気疲れ (kizukare), being tired from paying attention to others, such as a long dinner with in-laws or a day of formal meetings. 精神的に疲れた (seishinteki ni tsukareta) means mentally tired more generally.
Being tired of something is different again. 飽きた (akita) means you are bored of it, and うんざり (unzari) means fed up. These describe your attitude, not your energy.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は気疲れした。 | Kyō wa kizukare shita. | Today was socially draining. |
| 精神的に疲れています。 | Seishinteki ni tsukarete imasu. | I'm mentally worn out. |
| このゲーム、もう飽きた。 | Kono gēmu, mō akita. | I'm bored of this game now. |
| 毎日の満員電車にうんざりしている。 | Mainichi no man'in densha ni unzari shite iru. | I'm fed up with packed trains every day. |
Saying you're tired at work
Between colleagues at the end of a long day, a shared tsukaremashita ne is a small moment of solidarity. This is also where the connection with otsukaresama comes from: o-tsukare literally refers to someone's tiredness, and the greeting acknowledges effort. Our otsukaresama guide explains how the greeting is actually used.
With a manager, it is better to describe the situation and pair it with a request than to simply say you are tired. Being specific and constructive sounds responsible rather than complaining.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は長かったですね。疲れましたね。 | Kyō wa nagakatta desu ne. Tsukaremashita ne. | It's been a long day. We're all tired, aren't we. |
| 少し疲れが出ているので、今日は定時で失礼してもよろしいでしょうか。 | Sukoshi tsukare ga dete iru node, kyō wa teiji de shitsurei shite mo yoroshii deshō ka. | I'm feeling a bit worn down; would it be all right if I left on time today? |
| 少し休憩してもいいですか。 | Sukoshi kyūkei shite mo ii desu ka. | May I take a short break? |
| ここ数日あまり眠れていなくて。 | Koko sūjitsu amari nemurete inakute. | I haven't been sleeping well for the past few days. |
Responding when someone says they're tired
When someone tells you they are tired, a short show of sympathy and a suggestion to rest is the natural reply. Guessing that they must be tired, with deshō, is a warm and very Japanese way to acknowledge effort.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 大丈夫？疲れてるね。 | Daijōbu? Tsukareteru ne. | Are you OK? You look tired. |
| 疲れたでしょう。ゆっくり休んでね。 | Tsukareta deshō. Yukkuri yasunde ne. | You must be tired. Get some good rest. |
| 無理しないでね。 | Muri shinaide ne. | Don't push yourself. |
| お疲れのところすみません。 | O-tsukare no tokoro sumimasen. | Sorry to bother you when you're tired. |
| 今日は早く寝たほうがいいよ。 | Kyō wa hayaku neta hō ga ii yo. | You should get to bed early tonight. |
Muri shinaide ne is one of the kindest short lines in Japanese. It works with friends, family and friendly colleagues, and in its polite form, muri nasaranaide kudasai, with people above you.
Common mistakes
- Saying tsukaremasu for "I'm tired" now. Use tsukaremashita or tsukarete imasu.
- Using nemui when you mean exhausted. Nemui is sleepy; tsukareta or kutakuta is worn out.
- Saying shindoi or darui to a client. Both are casual; tsukarete orimasu or a specific explanation fits better.
- Complaining about tiredness without a reason or request at work. Add the cause and what you need.
- Confusing akita with tsukareta. Akita means bored of something, not low on energy.