Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Tired in Spanish: Cansado/Cansada
Cansado/Cansada · adjective · kahn-SAH-doh / kahn-SAH-dah
Cansado (masculine) or cansada (feminine) is the Spanish adjective for tired. It agrees in gender with the subject and is commonly used with the verb estar to describe a temporary state of fatigue.
kahn-SAH-doh / kahn-SAH-dah
Estoy muy cansado después del trabajo.
I am very tired after work.
Tired in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for tired, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| cansado/cansada | tired | kahn-SAH-doh / kahn-SAH-dah | Default, widely understood |
| agotado/agotada | tired | universal (exhausted) | |
| fatigado/fatigada | tired | formal / medical |
How Native Speakers Use Cansado/Cansada
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
After a long day
Estoy tan cansada que me voy a dormir temprano.
I'm so tired that I'm going to bed early.
A woman expressing exhaustion at the end of the day.
At the gym
Los niños están cansados de correr en el parque.
The children are tired from running in the park.
Describing physical fatigue after exercise.
At work
¿No estás cansado de hacer lo mismo todos los días?
Aren't you tired of doing the same thing every day?
Expressing weariness with a routine, using estar + cansado de.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Cansado/Cansada
Confusing tired with bored
Incorrect: Estoy aburrido después de correr cinco kilómetros.
Correct: Estoy cansado después de correr cinco kilómetros.
Aburrido means bored, not tired. After physical exertion you need cansado to describe fatigue.
Wrong gender agreement
Incorrect: María está cansado.
Correct: María está cansada.
Cansado must match the gender of the subject. Since María is feminine, use cansada.
Lock in Tired Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Cansado/Cansada used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using cansado/cansada in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Estoy muy cansado después del trabajo. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Tired in Spanish
- What is the difference between cansado and aburrido?
- Cansado means physically or mentally tired, while aburrido means bored. Learners sometimes mix them up because both describe negative states, but they refer to entirely different feelings.
- Do I use ser or estar with cansado?
- Use estar cansado to say you are tired right now. Saying ser cansado would mean you are a tiring person—someone who exhausts others—which is a completely different meaning.
- How do I say I'm exhausted in Spanish?
- You can say estoy agotado/agotada for a stronger degree of tiredness, or use the colloquial expression estoy muerto/muerta (I'm dead tired) in casual speech.