25+ Ways To Say 'I'm Tired In Spanish': The Ultimate Guide To Expressing Fatigue, Burnout, And Slang

Are you tired of saying *Estoy cansado*? While it’s the textbook answer, the Spanish-speaking world offers a vibrant, nuanced, and often hilarious vocabulary to express every level of fatigue, from simple sleepiness to deep, emotional burnout. To truly sound like a native speaker today, December 11, 2025, you need to master the subtle differences between physical exhaustion, mental drain, and being completely fed up with a situation.

This comprehensive guide will move far beyond the basics, giving you the essential grammar rules (like the crucial *ser* vs. *estar* distinction) and arming you with powerful regional slang from Spain, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina. By the end, you will have the topical authority to express your tiredness like a true polyglot.

The Foundational Phrases: Physical Tiredness vs. Sleepiness

The first and most important distinction to master is the difference between being physically tired from activity and being tired because you need to sleep. Using the wrong phrase will immediately mark you as a beginner.

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1. I Am Tired (Physical Exhaustion)

• Phrase: Estoy cansado/a
• Pronunciation: es-TOY can-SAH-doh / can-SAH-dah
• Usage: This is the universal, standard way to express physical or general fatigue after working, exercising, or a long day of travel. Remember to use the verb *Estar* and match the gender: *cansado* (male) or *cansada* (female).
• Example: *Después de trabajar todo el día, estoy cansado.* (After working all day, I’m tired.)

2. I Am Sleepy (Need for Sleep)

• Phrase: Tengo sueño
• Pronunciation: TEN-goh SWEN-yoh
• Usage: This phrase literally translates to "I have sleep" (*Tener* means "to have," and *sueño* means "sleep" or "sleepiness"). You use this when you are drowsy and need to go to bed. It is never *estoy sueño*.
• Example: *Tengo mucho sueño, creo que me voy a la cama.* (I’m very sleepy, I think I’m going to bed.)

Beyond Tired: Expressing Extreme Exhaustion and Burnout

When "cansado" just doesn't cut it, Spanish offers a range of powerful adjectives and idiomatic expressions to convey deep fatigue, exhaustion, and even mental burnout. These phrases are excellent for adding depth to your vocabulary.

3. Utter Exhaustion (Wiped Out)

• Estoy agotado/a: This is the most direct translation for "I am exhausted." The noun form is *agotamiento*, which is often used in a medical or psychological context to describe burnout.
• Estoy reventado/a: Literally "I am burst/blown up." This is a very common, intense way to say you are completely worn out, often used in Spain and other regions.
• Estoy hecho/a polvo: Literally "I am made dust" or "I am ground into dust." This is a classic, powerful idiom used widely in Spain and Mexico to mean "I'm wiped out" or "dead tired."
• Estoy molido/a: Literally "I am ground up" or "milled." It suggests that your body has been physically beaten or ground down by hard work, similar to "I'm beat."

4. Mental and Emotional Burnout

In the modern world, mental exhaustion is as common as physical fatigue. Spanish has specific, current phrases for this state, often related to stress, anxiety (*ansiedad*), or even depression (*depresión*).

• Estar quemado/a: This phrase literally means "to be burned" but is the most common and current way to express burnout in a professional or emotional context. It implies being completely drained and disillusioned.
  • *Ejemplo: Estoy quemado con mi trabajo.* (I am burned out with my job.)
• No tengo energía: A straightforward way to express a lack of energy, which often points to a mental or emotional drain rather than just physical tiredness.

The Crucial Nuance: How to Say "I'm Tired Of..." (Estar Harto)

When you are "tired of" a situation, a person, or a repetitive action, you are expressing frustration, not physical fatigue. For this, you must use a completely different verb and adjective: Estar Harto/a.

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• Phrase: Estoy harto/a de...
• Meaning: I am fed up with... / I am sick of... / I am tired of...
• Grammar: Use the preposition *de* (of) followed by a noun or an infinitive verb (the base form of the verb, like *esperar* - to wait).
• Example 1 (Noun): *Estoy harto de la política.* (I’m tired of politics.)
• Example 2 (Verb): *Estoy cansado de esperar.* (I’m tired of waiting.)

Regional Slang: Sounding Like a Local in Latin America and Spain (15+ Entities)

To achieve true topical authority, you must know the regional slang. These phrases are used daily by native speakers and are key to natural conversation. This section provides unique entities from key Spanish-speaking countries.

Spain and Mexico

• Estoy hecho/a polvo: (Spain/Mexico) As mentioned, this is a very common, powerful expression for being absolutely wiped out.
• Estoy K.O.: (Spain) Borrowed from English boxing, this means "I'm knocked out" or dead tired.
• Estoy reventado/a: (Spain) Used for extreme physical fatigue.

Colombia

Colombian Spanish is known for its clarity, but it has some great slang expressions for tiredness:

• Estoy mamado/a: This is a very common, versatile Colombian slang term. It means "I'm exhausted" (physical tiredness), but it is also frequently used to mean "I'm fed up with" a situation, similar to *estar harto*.
  • *Ejemplo: Estoy mamado de tanto estudiar.* (I’m tired of studying so much.)
• Cansón/Cansona: This is an adjective Colombians use to describe a person who is annoying or tiring to be around—a "tiring person."

Argentina

Argentine Spanish (often influenced by the *Lunfardo* dialect) has a unique word for a blend of tiredness, laziness, and not feeling like doing anything:

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• Tener fiaca: This phrase, literally "to have laziness," is the Argentine way to say you are tired, lazy, or simply lack the motivation to do something.
  • *Ejemplo: No quiero salir, tengo fiaca.* (I don't want to go out, I'm tired/lazy.)
• Estoy re cansado/a: The prefix *re-* is used in Argentina (and other parts of the Southern Cone) to mean "very" or "really." It's a simple intensifier.

Chile and Other Regions

• Estoy paltón/a: (Chile) A unique Chilean colloquialism used to refer to someone who is tired or exhausted.
• Estoy fundido/a: (General Latin America) Literally "I am melted." Used to mean "I'm completely drained" or "burnt out."
• Estoy muerto/a: (Common) Simply "I'm dead," meaning "dead tired."

Grammar Deep Dive: Why It’s Always *Estar Cansado* (Ser vs. Estar)

For a Spanish expert, understanding the distinction between the two verbs for "to be" (*Ser* and *Estar*) is essential, especially with the adjective *cansado*.

Estar Cansado (Correct)

The verb *Estar* is used because it refers to a temporary state or condition. Being tired is not a permanent, defining characteristic of a person; it is a temporary feeling that will change after rest.

• *Estoy cansado* = I am tired (right now/temporarily).

Ser Cansado (Incorrect for "I'm Tired")

If you use the verb *Ser* with *cansado*, the meaning changes entirely. *Ser* is used for permanent characteristics, identity, or nature.

• *Soy cansado* = I am a tiring/boring person (or thing).
• *Ejemplo: Buscar trabajo es cansado.* (Looking for work is tiring/a tiring process.)

Therefore, if you say *Soy cansado*, you are telling someone that your personality is boring or tiresome, not that you need a nap!

Summary of Key Entities and Phrases to Master

To recap, here are the essential entities and phrases to elevate your Spanish from basic to expert, ensuring you can express every shade of fatigue. Aim to incorporate at least five of these phrases into your conversations this week:

• Basic Physical Tiredness: *Estoy cansado/a*
• Need for Sleep: *Tengo sueño*
• Intense Exhaustion: *Estoy agotado/a*, *Estoy reventado/a*
• Burnout/Fed Up: *Estar quemado/a*, *Estar harto/a de*
• Slang (Spain/Mexico): *Estoy hecho polvo*
• Slang (Colombia): *Estoy mamado/a*
• Slang (Argentina): *Tener fiaca*
• Slang (Chile): *Estoy paltón/a*