心累

xīnlèi

adjective

Meanings

1 emotionally exhausted
2 mentally drained
3 weary at heart

Characters

Examples

最近工作太多了，真的心累。

Zuìjìn gōngzuò tài duōle, zhēn de xīnlèi.

There's been too much work lately — I'm really emotionally drained.

跟他吵架让我觉得很心累。

Gēn tā chǎojià ràng wǒ juéde hěn xīnlèi.

Arguing with him leaves me feeling mentally exhausted.

带孩子比上班还心累。

Dài háizi bǐ shàngbān hái xīnlèi.

Taking care of kids is even more draining than going to work.

Tips

usage

心累 is the emotional counterpart to 累 (physically tired). It became a signature millennial complaint on Chinese social media around 2013-2015 — the condition of being fine physically but worn out by relationships, office politics, or parental expectations.

culture

Often used with 身体不累，心累 (the body isn't tired, but the heart is) — the defining phrase of China's 佛系 and later 躺平 (lying flat) generations.

Stroke Order

心 xīn

累 lèi