Hebrew for Saying You’re Tired

If you want to say you’re tired in Hebrew, the most common word to know is עייף for a man and עייפה for a woman. In everyday Israeli Hebrew, this is the basic word you’ll hear and use all the time.

The simplest way to say it

• אני עייף — I’m tired.
• אני עייפה — I’m tired.

That’s the core phrase. If you’re male, use עייף. If you’re female, use עייפה.

You can also hear:

• אני עייף מאוד — I’m very tired.
• אני עייפה מאוד — I’m very tired.

The word מאוד means “very,” and it works in lots of everyday Hebrew phrases.

Useful variations

Sometimes you don’t need a full sentence. In casual conversation, people may just say:

• עייף / עייפה — tired
• אני גמור / אני גמורה — I’m exhausted, wiped out

גמור is stronger and more informal. Use it when you really mean you have no energy left. It’s common in spoken Hebrew, but עייף / עייפה is safer and more universal.

If you want to say you’re sleepy, that’s a slightly different idea:

• אני ישנוני — I’m sleepy, drowsy
• אני ישנונית — I’m sleepy, drowsy

This is less common than עייף / עייפה, but useful if you’re talking about needing sleep rather than just feeling worn out.

In real-life situations

Here are some practical examples you might actually use in Israel:

• אני עייף, אני הולך הביתה. — I’m tired, I’m going home.
• אני עייפה, אני צריכה לנוח. — I’m tired, I need to rest.
• אני גמור אחרי העבודה. — I’m exhausted after work.
• היום הייתי ממש עייפה. — Today I was really tired.

Notice that Hebrew often keeps the sentence short and direct. You don’t need to over-explain.

Saying you need rest

If you want to go one step further, these phrases are very useful:

• אני צריך לנוח — I need to rest.
• אני צריכה לנוח — I need to rest.
• אני צריך לישון — I need to sleep.
• אני צריכה לישון — I need to sleep.

These are good when you want to explain why you can’t keep going, or why you’re leaving early. They also connect well with everyday situations like Hebrew for Saying You’re Busy or Hebrew for Canceling Plans, where you may need a simple reason for stepping back.

A few common replies

If someone says they’re tired, you might hear or use:

• תנוח/י — Rest.
• תישן/י טוב — Sleep well.
• תרגיש/י טוב — Feel better.

These are helpful because tiredness often comes up in casual check-ins, after work, or when making plans. If you’re trying to explain that you can’t meet someone because you’re exhausted, this can overlap with Hebrew for Rescheduling Plans too.

Quick memory tip

A simple way to remember it:

• עייף = tired
• עייפה = tired, for a woman
• גמור / גמורה = exhausted
• לנוח = to rest
• לישון = to sleep

If you only remember one phrase, make it אני עייף or אני עייפה. It’s short, natural, and useful in daily life.

Practice

Try saying these out loud:

1. אני עייף.
2. אני עייפה מאוד.
3. אני צריך לנוח.
4. אני צריכה לישון.

Once those feel comfortable, you’ll be able to handle most everyday situations where you need to say you’re tired without sounding stiff or overly formal.