How do you say tired in french

Show off your French language skills with some interesting phrases, from past and present, to express how tired you are

Several ways to say I’m tired in French Pic: fizkes/Shutterstock

One of the earliest French phrases we learn at school, and one which English-speaking residents in France use with regularity and confidence, is ‘Je suis fatigué’ (‘je suis fatiguée’ if you are female) – meaning “I am tired”. Je suis épuisé(e) is another easy one to employ.

But with a little application, you can impress your neighbours as you make your excuses to leave for home after a long soirée: just add a little linguistic flourish to your expression of bed-readiness by learning a few elegant and charming expressions from yesteryear.

Read more: Être aux anges and more French ‘happy’ expressions

Read more: Faire la grasse matinée and more French sleep phrases

Just as we might say “I am on my knees” to express serious fatigue, the French are a little more specific: “être sur les rotules” is translated literally as “being on one’s kneecaps” – the French word for patella borrowed from the medieval Latin rotula, meaning – very cutely – “little wheel”. 

You can also use the adjective fourbu to explain your physical fatigue – ie. “je suis fourbu” which comes from the old French verb: soi forboire, which back then meant “to drink with excess, to get tired of drinking too much”. Today’s usage does not refer to having drunk too much, though. It just means worn out.

You can use the common phrase like “je suis claqué(e)” – “I’m beat” or “I’m bushed”. The word claque is onomatopoeic, from the klakk sound, and can refer to a short, firm slap (also called une gifle).

En avoir sa claque is an extension of this – it means “I have had enough”, or “I can’t take any more”. But back in the 19th century, it meant “to be satiated” – in Picardy, for instance, the claque in question referred to a measure of milk sizeable enough to render one full and satisfied!

Finally, a well-used, but very informal phrase is “Je suis crevé(e)“ - “I’m knackered“ or “I’m dog tired“. The verb crever means to burst or puncture, so you are in fact saying you're flat and have nothing left inside. The same goes for “Je suis vidé(e)“ - literally “ I’m emptied“ !

Related articles

Chépa, Chui: Six French ‘slurred’ words you may find hard to recognise

We get on with French neighbours so why do they use ‘vous’ with us?

However,Iam tiredof always hearing [...]

the government say the same thing.

www2.parl.gc.ca

www2.parl.gc.ca

Cependant, je suis tann� d'entendre [...]

le gouvernement toujours invoquer la m�me chose.

www2.parl.gc.ca

www2.parl.gc.ca

In generalIam tired,I lay down on my bed and [...]

then I fall asleep.

zen-deshimaru.com

zen-deshimaru.com

En g�n�ral, je suis fatigu�, je m'allonge sur mon [...]

lit et puis, je m'endors.

zen-deshimaru.com

zen-deshimaru.com

With all

[...] due respect,Iam tiredof hearing misinformation [...]

in this House constantly.

www2.parl.gc.ca

www2.parl.gc.ca

J'en ai plus qu'assez qu'on tente constamment [...]

d'induire les gens en erreur � la Chambre.

www2.parl.gc.ca

www2.parl.gc.ca

Iam tiredtoday", no, conditioned, [...]

I do not take it into consideration.

zen-deshimaru.com

zen-deshimaru.com

Je suis fatigu� aujourd'hui, non, [...]

conditionn�, je ne le prends pas en consid�ration.

zen-deshimaru.com

zen-deshimaru.com

Iam tired.

dw-world.de

dw-world.de

Je suis fatigu�.

dw-world.de

dw-world.de

Although bread is not the

[...] best thing to eat whenIam tired,so I often give that a miss.

isaac-online.org

isaac-online.org

Comme le pain n'est pas la meilleure chose �

[...] manger quand je suis fatigu�e, alors je m'en passe souvent.

isaac-online.org

isaac-online.org

Can I be

[...] a caregiver ifIam tired,impatient, irritable, [...]

and myself in need of help?

csss-iugs.ca

csss-iugs.ca

Puis-je �tre

[...] aidante quand je suis fatigu�e, impatiente, irritable, [...]

quand j'ai moi-m�me besoin d'aide?

csss-iugs.ca

csss-iugs.ca

Iam tiredof explaining what we are doing.

frontlinedefenders.org

frontlinedefenders.org

Je suis fatigu�e d'expliquer ce que [...]

nous faisons.

frontlinedefenders.net

frontlinedefenders.net

We say: "Iam tired"or "Iamsick, angry or [...]

worried.

babajiskriyayoga.com

babajiskriyayoga.com

Nous disons: "Je suis fatigu�" ou "Je suis malade, [...]

en col�re ou inquiet.

babajiskriyayoga.com

babajiskriyayoga.com

Fitness: "Iam tiredand that's good, it shows that [...]

after a week's racing, I think that I've done everything possible to take SAFRAN forward.

safransixty.com

safransixty.com

La forme�: ��Je suis fatigu� et heureusement, apr�s [...]

une semaine de course, j'ai le sentiment de vraiment tout donner pour faire avancer SAFRAN.

safransixty.com

safransixty.com

WhyamItired?

vitalaire.com

vitalaire.com

Pourquoi suis-je fatigu�?

vitalaire.com

vitalaire.com

I just come up here, on pleasant summer evenings, and amuse myself running or throwing weights with the

[...] rest of the boys, and whenIam tiredIstop.

collectionscanada.gc.ca

collectionscanada.gc.ca

Je viens ici, les belles soir�es d'�t�, et je m'amuse � courir ou � lancer des poids avec les autres

[...] gars et, quand je suis fatigu�, je m'arr�te.

collectionscanada.gc.ca

collectionscanada.gc.ca

IfIam tired,encourage me.

henri-caffarel.org

henri-caffarel.org

Si je suis fatigu�, soutiens-moi.

henri-caffarel.org

henri-caffarel.org

I knowIam tired,but as I have told myself many times [...]

before, opening the window and playing some loud music will keep me awake.

deal.org

deal.org

La fatigue �tait �vidente, maiscomme je me l'�tais dit [...]

si souvent avant, j'allais r�ussir � �viter le sommeil en ouvrant

[...]

la fen�tre et en montant le volume de la musique.

deal.org

deal.org

Most nights, to be honest,Iam tiredand would rather stay home.

nphfrance.org

nphfrance.org

Pour �tre franche, la

[...] plupart des nuits je suis fatigu�e et j'aimerais bien [...]

rester � la maison.

nphfrance.org

nphfrance.org

Iam tiredfrom loneliness and emptiness [...]

in my life.

cupidon-france.com

cupidon-france.com

Je suis fatigu�e de la solitude et du [...]

vide dans ma vie.

cupidon-france.com

cupidon-france.com

Iam tiredof the interference that [...]

I have experienced from the beginning of this soccer clinic.

dw-world.com

dw-world.com

Je suis fatigu� de tous ces b�tons [...]

dans les roues depuis le d�but du stage.

dw-world.de

dw-world.de

Iam tiredof hearing about [...]

people fighting cancer?

thechildren.com

thechildren.com

J'en ai assez d'entendre parler [...]

des gens qui doivent se battre contre cette terrible maladie.

thechildren.com

thechildren.com

If one dayIam tired,the other EOD can work.

nato.int

nato.int

Si je suis fatigu�, les autres peuvent travailler.

nato.int

nato.int

It is about nine years I am doing this work; if I earn something it is for food; my children would like to help but the biggest one cannot work; and

[...]

if I sit selling something, no one will come to buy from

[...] me; so I am obliged to come here and scrape;Iam tired,but if I want to eat I have to do this work.

frederiquelagny.com

frederiquelagny.com

Cela fait environ neuf ans que je fais ce travail ; si je gagne quelque chose, c'est pour la nourriture ; mes enfants aimeraient m'aider, mais le plus grand n'a pas de travail ; si je reste assise pour vendre quelque chose,

[...]

personne ne viendra m'acheter ; donc je suis

[...] oblig�e de venir racler ici ; la fatigue est l�, je suis fatigu�e, mais si on veut manger je dois faire ce [...]

travail.

frederiquelagny.com

frederiquelagny.com

Iam tiredof not receiving the services [...]

that I have a right to.

vabsl.org

vabsl.org

je suis fatigu� de ne pas recevoir les [...]

services auxquels j'ai droit.

vabsl.org

vabsl.org

Frankly, until they are captured

[...] by these truths,Iam tiredof trying to convince [...]

Canadian Christians to share the good news.

dqpaoc.org

dqpaoc.org

C'est ainsi qu'il nous faut vivre au contact de ces personnes. Tr�s franchement, tant que

[...]

les chr�tiens ne sont pas captiv�s par

[...] ces v�rit�s, je suis fatigu� d'essayer de convaincre [...]

les croyants canadiens de partager la bonne nouvelle.

dqpaoc.org

dqpaoc.org

AmItired?

livingwellwithcancer.com

livingwellwithcancer.com

�tes-vous fatigu�?

livingwellwithcancer.com

livingwellwithcancer.com

WhenIam tiredor feel burdened, I look at the [...]

Cross of the Lord and remember that passage from St. Mathew: "He who wants

[...]

to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me" (Mt. 16, 24).

opusdei.org.sg

opusdei.org.sg

Quand je suis fatigu� ou d�bord�, je regarde la [...]

Croix et je pense � saint Matthieu�: ��Si quelqu'un veut venir � ma suite,

[...]

qu'il se renie lui-m�me, qu'il se charge de sa croix et qu'il me suive�� (Mt 16, 24)

fr.be.opusdei.org

fr.be.opusdei.org

Iam tiredof your persecution, your [...]

hate, your spite, the misery and, finally, the systematic absence of work to which you condemned me.

kustu.com

kustu.com

Je suis fatigu� de pers�cution, de votre [...]

haine, de votre m�chancet�, de mis�re et, enfin, de l'absence syst�matique de travail

[...]

� laquelle vous m'avez condamn�.

kustu.com

kustu.com

Iam tiredof hearing the excuses [...]

of fishermen that the seals or the dolphins have diminished the fish numbers.

goodplanet.info

goodplanet.info

Je suis las d'entendre les excuses [...]

des p�cheurs selon lesquelles les phoques et les dauphins sont la cause de la diminution des poissons.

goodplanet.info

goodplanet.info

Iam tiredand wiped out but I have [...]

no desire whatsoever to complain.

petitsgroupes.org

petitsgroupes.org

Je suis fatigu�, �puis�, mais je n'ai [...]

aucune envie de me plaindre.

petitsgroupes.org

petitsgroupes.org

Iamverytiredand not quite well, and the [...]

hope that someone nice will take over my practice is an 'unreal dream'.

cps.ca

cps.ca

Je suis tr�s fatigu�e et ne suis pas en tr�s [...]

bonne sant�, mais l'espoir que quelqu'un de bien reprenne ma pratique demeure un "r�ve irr�alisable".

cps.ca

cps.ca

But I also would be less than frank if I did not say that, in

[...] addition to being verytired, Iamvery sad and disappointed.

daccess-ods.un.org

daccess-ods.un.org

Mais je manquerais de franchise si je ne disais pas,

[...] qu'en plus d'�tre tr�s fatigu�, je suis aussi tr�s [...]

triste et d��u.

daccess-ods.un.org

daccess-ods.un.org

How do you say he is tired in French?

10 ways to say you're very tired.
1) I'm exhausted..
2) I'm dead tired..
3) I'm knackered..
4) I'm worn out..
5) I'm spent..
6) I'm on my last legs..
7) I'm running out of fumes/ I'm running on empty..
8) I'm pooped..

How do you say I'm tired in a nice way?

“I've learned a lot, and I was never bored..
5 Different Ways to Say “I'm tired ” in English. 17th April 2019. ... .
I'm Beat. ... .
I'm pooped. ... .
I can hardly keep my eyes open. ... .
I'm Spent. ... .
Burnt Out..

What's fatigue in French?

[fatiɡe ] Word forms: fatigué, fatiguée. adjective. tired.

How do you say tired in slang?

exhausted.
worn out..
all in (slang).
debilitated..
done in (informal).
drained..
fatigued..
knackered (slang).
spent..