累 (lèi) — tired; exhausted
HSK 3 | adjective | feeling tired or worn out
累 (lèi)
累 describes the state of being tired or exhausted, whether from physical activity, mental effort, or a long day.
Meanings
- [adj] tired; exhausted; fatigued; worn out
Example Sentences
工作了一整天，我真的很累。 Gōngzuò le yī zhěng tiān, wǒ zhēn de hěn lèi. After working a whole day, I am really tired.
你看起来很累，早点休息吧。 Nǐ kàn qǐlái hěn lèi, zǎodiǎn xiūxi ba. You look very tired; get some rest early.
爬山之后，大家都累坏了。 Páshān zhīhòu, dàjiā dōu lèi huài le. After climbing the mountain, everyone was exhausted.
照顾小孩子真的很累，但也很快乐。 Zhàogù xiǎo háizi zhēn de hěn lèi, dàn yě hěn kuàilè. Taking care of small children is truly tiring, but also very joyful.
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 感到累 | to feel tired |
| 累坏了 | to be exhausted; dead tired |
| 又累又饿 | tired and hungry |
| 辛苦累了 | tired from hard work |
| 不觉得累 | to not feel tired |
Memory Hook
The character 累 shows threads (silk/rope) piled on top of a field (田) — like endless tasks stacking up until you are weighed down and tired.