累

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lèi / lěi: 累 - Tired, Weary; To Accumulate

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: 累 pinyin, 累 meaning, how to say tired in Chinese, lei Chinese, Chinese word for tired, Chinese word for exhausted, tired in Mandarin, 心累 (xīn lèi), 辛苦 vs 累, 累 lèi, 累 lěi, accumulate in Chinese, Chinese grammar.
  • Summary: Discover the essential Chinese word 累 (lèi), the most common way to say you're tired, weary, or exhausted in Mandarin. This guide explores not only how to express physical fatigue but also the culturally significant concept of being “heart-tired” (心累, xīn lèi). We'll also uncover its second, less common pronunciation, lěi, which means “to accumulate.” Learn the difference between 累 and 辛苦 (xīnkǔ), see practical examples, and understand why this simple word is key to expressing daily life and deeper emotions in Chinese culture.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): lèi / lěi
  • Part of Speech: Adjective (for lèi) / Verb (for lěi)
  • HSK Level: HSK 1 (for lèi)
  • Concise Definition: (lèi) To be tired, fatigued, or weary; (lěi) to accumulate or pile up.
  • In a Nutshell: 累 (lèi) is your go-to word in Chinese for feeling tired. It's the word you use after a long day of work, a tough workout, or not getting enough sleep. It perfectly captures that feeling of physical or mental drain. While its primary meaning is “tired,” the same character can also be pronounced lěi to mean “to accumulate,” like accumulating wealth or experience. For a beginner, mastering lèi (tired) is the most important first step.

Character Breakdown

  • 累 (lèi/lěi): This character visually suggests a sense of burden or toil. It can be broken down into:
    • 田 (tián): Meaning “field.” This component evokes images of agriculture and hard physical labor under the sun.
    • 糸 (mì): Meaning “silk” or “thread.” This part can be imagined as something that binds, tangles, or weighs you down.
  • When you combine them, you get the powerful image of being worn out from working in the fields (田) until your body feels bound and tangled like thread (糸). This paints a vivid picture of exhaustion, the core meaning of lèi.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • In Chinese culture, hard work and perseverance are deeply held values, often summed up by the concept of 吃苦 (chī kǔ), which literally means “to eat bitterness.” Admitting you are 累 (lèi) is not seen as a complaint or a sign of weakness, but rather as an honest acknowledgement of the effort you've put in. It's a shared human experience that connects people.
  • Comparison to Western Culture: In American culture, saying “I'm tired” often leads to advice like, “You should get some rest” or “Take a vacation,” reflecting a strong emphasis on work-life balance. While this is also true in modern China, stating you are 累 (lèi) can also be a way of signaling your dedication and sacrifice for a greater goal, like supporting your family or succeeding at work. It can evoke a sense of shared struggle and mutual respect for each other's hard work, rather than an immediate call to stop working.
  • A particularly modern and culturally significant term is 心累 (xīn lèi), or “heart-tired.” This describes a profound emotional and mental exhaustion from social pressures, complicated relationships, or the relentless pace of modern life. It's a feeling that goes beyond simple physical fatigue and speaks to a deeper, more existential weariness that is widely discussed on Chinese social media.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • Expressing Everyday Fatigue: 累 (lèi) is used constantly in daily conversation. It's informal and suitable for any situation where you'd say “I'm tired” in English. The most common way to say this is “我很累 (Wǒ hěn lèi).”
  • Exaggeration and Emphasis: Chinese speakers often use hyperbole for emphasis. A very common phrase is 累死了! (Lèi sǐ le!), which literally means “tired to death!” It's used informally among friends and family to mean “I'm totally exhausted!”
  • Mental vs. Physical Tiredness: You can specify what kind of tired you are.
    • 身体累 (shēntǐ lèi): Physically tired.
    • 心累 (xīn lèi): Mentally/emotionally tired (“heart-tired”).
  • The “lěi” Pronunciation: You will encounter the `lěi` pronunciation in more formal or written contexts, often as part of a two-character word like 积累 (jīlěi), meaning “to accumulate.” As a beginner, you don't need to use it in conversation often, but it's important to recognize it.

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 我今天很累，想早点睡觉。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ jīntiān hěn lèi, xiǎng zǎodiǎn shuìjiào.
    • English: I'm very tired today, I want to go to bed early.
    • Analysis: This is the most standard and common use of `累` to express general tiredness.
  • Example 2:
    • 逛了一天街，真是累死了！
    • Pinyin: Guàngle yì tiān jiē, zhēnshi lèi sǐ le!
    • English: After shopping all day, I'm absolutely exhausted!
    • Analysis: The phrase `累死了 (lèi sǐ le)` is a classic example of informal exaggeration. It doesn't mean you are literally dying, just that you are extremely tired.
  • Example 3:
    • 你累不累？要不要休息一下？
    • Pinyin: Nǐ lèi bu lèi? Yào bu yào xiūxi yíxià?
    • English: Are you tired? Do you want to take a break?
    • Analysis: Using the “A-not-A” (累不累) structure is a common way to form questions in Chinese. It's softer than using “吗 (ma)”.
  • Example 4:
    • 爬长城非常累，但是很值得。
    • Pinyin: Pá Chángchéng fēicháng lèi, dànshì hěn zhídé.
    • English: Climbing the Great Wall is very tiring, but it's very worth it.
    • Analysis: Here, `累` is used to describe an activity, not just a person's feeling.
  • Example 5:
    • 最近工作压力很大，我感觉心累。
    • Pinyin: Zuìjìn gōngzuò yālì hěn dà, wǒ gǎnjué xīn lèi.
    • English: The work pressure has been immense recently, I feel emotionally drained.
    • Analysis: This showcases the important concept of `心累 (xīn lèi)`, referring to mental and emotional fatigue, not physical.
  • Example 6:
    • 我又饿又累，我们先找个地方吃饭吧。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ yòu è yòu lèi, wǒmen xiān zhǎo ge dìfang chīfàn ba.
    • English: I'm both hungry and tired, let's find a place to eat first.
    • Analysis: `又…又… (yòu…yòu…)` is a useful pattern to say “both…and…”. `累` fits perfectly into this structure.
  • Example 7:
    • A: 我们晚上去看电影吗？ (Wǒmen wǎnshang qù kàn diànyǐng ma?)
    • B: 不了，我太累了，想在家休息。 (Bù le, wǒ tài lèi le, xiǎng zài jiā xiūxi.)
    • English: A: Are we going to the movies tonight? B: No, I'm too tired, I want to rest at home.
    • Analysis: `累` is a perfect and polite reason to decline an invitation.
  • Example 8:
    • 妈妈工作了一天，看起来很累。
    • Pinyin: Māma gōngzuòle yì tiān, kànqǐlái hěn lèi.
    • English: Mom worked all day, she looks very tired.
    • Analysis: `看起来 (kànqǐlái)` means “looks” or “seems,” used here to describe your observation of someone else's state.
  • Example 9:
    • 坐了十几个小时的飞机，我累坏了。
    • Pinyin: Zuòle shí jǐ ge xiǎoshí de fēijī, wǒ lèi huài le.
    • English: After sitting on a plane for over ten hours, I'm completely worn out.
    • Analysis: The complement `坏了 (huài le)` is another way to add emphasis, similar to “to death” in English slang (e.g., “I'm beat”). It means “broken” but here it just means “extremely.”
  • Example 10 (lěi pronunciation):
    • 他通过多年的努力，积累了丰富的经验。
    • Pinyin: Tā tōngguò duōnián de nǔlì, jīlěile fēngfù de jīngyàn.
    • English: Through many years of hard work, he has accumulated a wealth of experience.
    • Analysis: This sentence uses `积累 (jīlěi)`, where the character is pronounced `lěi` and means “to accumulate.” This is a more advanced usage.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • `累 (lèi)` vs. `辛苦 (xīnkǔ)`: This is the most common point of confusion for learners.
    • 累 (lèi) is a feeling. It describes your internal state of being tired. (e.g., “我很累” - I feel tired).
    • 辛苦 (xīnkǔ) describes an action or situation that is arduous, demanding, or full of hardship. It's often used to show appreciation for someone's hard work.
    • Correct: To a delivery driver, you say: “你辛苦了！” (Nǐ xīnkǔ le!) - “Thank you for your hard work!”
    • Incorrect: Saying “你累了!” (Nǐ lèi le!) in this context sounds like a simple observation (“You are tired”) and lacks the nuance of gratitude.
  • The Pronunciation Trap: Remember that the same character 累 has two pronunciations tied to two different meanings. If you're talking about being tired, it's always lèi (4th tone). If you see it in a word like 积累 (to accumulate), it's lěi (3rd tone). Don't mix them up!
  • Don't Use `累` for “Boring” or “Tiresome”: You cannot say a book or a movie “is tired” (这本书很累 - Incorrect). You should say the activity of reading it is tiring (“看这本书很累” - Kàn zhè běn shū hěn lèi) or that the book is boring (“这本书很无聊” - Zhè běn shū hěn wúliáo).

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 辛苦 (xīnkǔ) - Hard, toilsome, arduous. Describes the cause of feeling `累`. Often used to thank someone for their effort.
  • 疲劳 (píláo) - Fatigue. A more formal or medical term for being tired than `累`.
  • 疲惫 (píbèi) - Exhausted, worn out. A stronger and more literary word for `累`.
  • 心累 (xīn lèi) - “Heart-tired.” The specific feeling of being mentally or emotionally drained.
  • 休息 (xiūxi) - To rest. The natural solution when you feel `累`.
  • 吃苦 (chī kǔ) - “To eat bitterness.” The cultural value of enduring hardship, which often leads to feeling `累`.
  • 积累 (jīlěi) - To accumulate. A key vocabulary word that uses the `lěi` pronunciation.
  • 劳累 (láolèi) - Fatigued, overworked. Very similar to `累`, but slightly more formal and emphasizes the connection to labor (劳).