Wo lei le (我累了): I'm tired in Chinese

我累了

wǒ lèi le

I'm tired

Character breakdown

我

I, me

wǒ

累

tired

lèi

了

particle indicating change of state

Grammar and structure

'我' means I, '累' means tired, and '了' marks a change of state, so it means 'I've become tired'.

Variations and politeness

我很累

wǒ hěn lèi

I am very tired. — Adds emphasis on the degree of tiredness.

我累死了

wǒ lèi sǐ le

I am dead tired. — More expressive and colloquial.

我有点累。

wǒ yǒudiǎn lèi.

I am a little tired. — Softer and more polite.

Mini dialogue

你怎么了？

nǐ zěnme le?

What's wrong with you?

我累了。

wǒ lèi le.

I'm tired.

要休息一下吗？

yào xiūxí yīxià ma?

Do you want to rest a bit?

When to use it

Appropriate

When you feel physically or mentally exhausted and want to express it.
When you want to suggest stopping an activity or taking a break.
In casual conversations with friends, family, or close colleagues.

Avoid when

In formal situations or with superiors, where a softer expression like '我有点累' is more appropriate.
When you mean 'I am sleepy' (困) rather than 'tired' from exertion.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I'm tired' in Chinese?

You say '我累了' (wǒ lèi le). It literally means 'I have become tired'.

How do you pronounce '我累了'?

It is pronounced 'wǒ lèi le', with the third tone on 'wǒ', the fourth tone on 'lèi', and the neutral tone on 'le'.

When do you use '我累了'?

Use it when you feel tired and want to express that, often to suggest resting or stopping an activity. It's casual and best with people you know well.