native

How do I say ‘I’m so tired’?

A neutral, natural way to say you are tired without sounding theatrical.

我好累

wǒ hǎo lèi

I’m so tired.

LITERAL

I am very tired.

WHAT IT REALLY MEANS

I’m so tired.

WHEN IT FITS

Everyday conversationPhysical or mental tirednessSafe with friends and coworkers

This is the safest all-purpose choice when you want to describe tiredness rather than perform frustration.

好 before an adjective is the colloquial intensifier — more conversational than 很 and naturally oral. Unlike 累死我了, which performs frustration, 我好累 simply reports a state, so it works in nearly any situation without risking drama.

HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY SAY IT

我今天真的好累。

Wǒ jīntiān zhēn de hǎo lèi.

I’m really tired today.

Neutral everyday statement

最近每天加班，我好累。

Zuìjìn měitiān jiābān, wǒ hǎo lèi.

I’ve been working overtime every day lately. I’m so tired.

Ongoing work fatigue

CHOOSE BY SITUATION

累死我了

lèi sǐ wǒ le

I’m completely exhausted.

You want a more dramatic casual complaint