We’ve all been there. You’ve worked a twelve-hour day, studied for a massive exam, or just finished a marathon workout. You aren’t just “tired”—you are completely drained.
While strictly saying wǒ hěn lèi (I am tired) gets the job done, it doesn’t quite capture the drama of being totally spent.
In our latest video, hosts Fiona and Iona walk us through different levels of exhaustion in Mandarin, ranging from casual slang you’d use with friends to advanced idioms describing total burnout.
Ready to wake up your vocabulary? Let’s dive into 6 ways to say you are exhausted.
Level 1: Casual & Dramatic
These are the phrases you will use constantly in daily conversation. They are perfect for chatting with friends or complaining about a long day.
1. 我没电了 / 我沒電了 (Wǒ méi diàn le)
Literal meaning: “I have no electricity.”
Think of your phone when it hits 1%. This phrase means your personal battery is dead. It is a fun, relatable way to tell someone you just can’t function anymore.
Example:
“I worked 12 hours today…”
我真的没电了 / 我真的沒電了。
(Wǒ zhēn de méi diàn le.)
“I’m completely out of battery.”
2. 累死 (Lèi sǐ)
Literal meaning: “Tired to death.”
This is arguably the most common way to express exhaustion. 死 (sǐ) means “death,” and in Chinese, it is often placed after adjectives to mean “extremely” or “to death.”
Example:
我快累死了 / 我快累死了。
(Wǒ kuài lèi sǐ le.)
“I am about to die of exhaustion.”
Bonus Usage: You can use this structure for other feelings, too!
- 饿死 / 餓死 (è sǐ): Starving to death
- 热死 / 熱死 (rè sǐ): Hot to death
- 烦死 / 煩死 (fán sǐ): Annoyed to death
- 笑死 (xiào sǐ): Laughing to death (Dying of laughter)
Level 2: Descriptive Metaphors
Sometimes you need a visual image to describe just how tired you are.
3. 累得跟狗一样 / 累得跟狗一樣 (Lèi de gēn gǒu yīyàng)
Literal meaning: “Tired to the point of becoming a dog.”
This implies you are so tired you have lost your human form and are just panting on the ground. Interestingly, there is a popular internet meme in China that jokes, “Dogs aren’t even as tired as you!” (Gǒu dōu méi nǐ lèi).
Example:
“In order to rush this report…”
我这几天真是累得跟狗一样 / 我這幾天真是累得跟狗一樣。
(Wǒ zhè jǐ tiān zhēn shì lèi de gēn gǒu yīyàng.)
“I’ve been dog-tired these past few days.”
Level 3: The “Burnout” Idioms
When you are totally spent, burned out, or dealing with heavy emotional burdens, simple slang isn’t enough. Here are three advanced idioms (Chengyu) to express deep exhaustion.
4. 筋疲力尽 / 筋疲力盡 (Jīn pí lì jìn)
Meaning: Exhausted; played out; worn out.
Let’s break down the characters:
- 筋 (jīn): Muscles/Tendons
- 疲 (pí): Weary
- 力 (lì): Strength
- 尽 / 盡 (jìn): Finished/Exhausted
This idiom focuses heavily on physical exhaustion.
Example:
“After three days of annual meetings, everyone is…”
筋疲力尽 / 筋疲力盡。
(Jīn pí lì jìn.)
“…completely worn out.”
5. 身心俱疲 (Shēn xīn jù pí)
Meaning: Physically and mentally exhausted.
- 身 (shēn): Body
- 心 (xīn): Heart/Mind
- 俱 (jù): All/Both
This is great for when the exhaustion hits both your body and your brain, like when you are juggling work and family issues simultaneously.
Example:
“Working overtime and the kids are sick…”
真的是身心俱疲 / 真的是身心俱疲。
(Zhēn de shì shēn xīn jù pí.)
“I am truly physically and mentally exhausted.”
6. 心力交瘁 (Xīn lì jiāo cuì)
Meaning: To be both mentally and physically exhausted (usually from worry).
This is perhaps the most extreme form of exhaustion on this list. It describes a state of total burnout, usually resulting from emotional worrying or working on something very difficult for a long time.
Example:
“Dealing with the divorce recently…”
处理到心力交瘁 / 處理到心力交瘁。
(Chǔlǐ dào xīn lì jiāo cuì.)
“…has left me totally burnt out.”
Vocabulary Summary
Here is a quick reference guide to the vocabulary from this lesson.
| Simplified | Traditional | Pinyin | English Meaning |
| 我没电了 | 我沒電了 | Wǒ méi diàn le | My battery is dead (I’m out of energy) |
| 累死 | 累死 | Lèi sǐ | Tired to death / Extremely tired |
| 累得跟狗一样 | 累得跟狗一樣 | Lèi de gēn gǒu yīyàng | Dog-tired (Tired as a dog) |
| 筋疲力尽 | 筋疲力盡 | Jīn pí lì jìn | Physically exhausted / Worn out |
| 身心俱疲 | 身心俱疲 | Shēn xīn jù pí | Body and mind are exhausted |
| 心力交瘁 | 心力交瘁 | Xīn lì jiāo cuì | Total burnout (Mental and physical) |
Time to Recharge!
Phew! Just explaining all those idioms is enough to make anyone feel 累死 (lèi sǐ).
If you are feeling 我没电了 (wǒ méi diàn le), go take a nap! But if you are ready to recharge your vocabulary, make sure to download the Skritter App. It’s the best way to memorize these characters so you never forget them when you need to complain about how tired you are!
See you in the next lesson! 掰掰 (Bāi bāi)!