How do I say ‘I can’t be bothered’?
Natural and casual, but openly admits unwillingness or lack of effort.
我懒得弄
I can’t be bothered to do it.
I’m too lazy to deal with it.
I can’t be bothered to do it.
WHEN IT FITS
The verb after 懒得 should name the action you do not want to spend effort on.
懒得 is culturally interesting: Chinese speakers openly describe themselves as 懒 (lazy) in casual settings without the self-judgment that English “I’m too lazy to…” can carry. It is an honest, face-level admission rather than a moral failing. But that same directness makes it inappropriate at work — telling a colleague 我懒得做 sounds irresponsible, not relatable. The verb after 懒得 should name the specific action you don’t want to spend effort on.
HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAY IT
太麻烦了，我懒得弄。
It’s too much trouble. I can’t be bothered with it.
Annoying task下班以后我连饭都懒得做。
After work, I can’t even be bothered to cook.
Low energy after workCHOOSE BY SITUATION
我不太想弄
I don’t really feel like dealing with it.
You want a softer, less self-critical refusal