They Are Tired in Spanish | Say It Right Every Time

If you want to say “they are tired” in Spanish, the cleanest answer is están cansados or están cansadas. The verb is están, from estar, and the adjective changes with the group. A group of men, or a mixed group, takes cansados. A group of women takes cansadas.

That sounds simple, yet this phrase trips people up all the time. The trouble usually comes from three spots: picking ser instead of estar, matching the ending to the group, and not knowing when to use ellos, ellas, or ustedes. Once those pieces click, the phrase becomes easy to use in speech, writing, and classwork.

This article breaks it down in plain English, with natural examples, quick pattern checks, and common mistakes you can dodge on the spot.

They Are Tired In Spanish In Real Use

The standard phrase is built in two parts:

• Están = “are” for a plural subject
• Cansados / cansadas = “tired”

So the full phrase looks like this:

• Ellos están cansados. = They are tired.
• Ellas están cansadas. = They are tired.
• Ustedes están cansados. = You all are tired.

The verb matters here. Spanish uses estar for a state or condition, and the RAE entry for “estar” notes that it is used to express a subject’s state. Tiredness fits that pattern, so ser cansados is not the form you want.

The adjective matters too. The RAE entry for “cansado” defines it as showing tiredness. In Spanish, adjectives agree with the noun or pronoun they describe. That is why the ending shifts from -os to -as.

Why Spanish Uses Estar Here

English says “they are tired,” so learners often lock onto the word “are” and stop there. Spanish asks a second question: what kind of “are” is this? Is it identity, or is it a passing condition?

Tiredness is a condition. Someone can be fresh in the morning and worn out by night. That is why Spanish picks estar. You are not labeling the group as “tired people” by nature. You are saying how they feel right now.

A good gut check is this: if the condition can change by resting, eating, sleeping, or taking a break, estar is usually the right lane.

When To Use Ellos, Ellas, Or No Pronoun At All

Spanish often drops subject pronouns because the verb already carries the person and number. So in many cases, you can just say están cansados and stop there. The listener will get it from context.

You add ellos or ellas when you want extra clarity, contrast, or emphasis.

• ¿Cómo están los niños? Están cansados.
• ¿Y las jugadoras? Ellas están cansadas.
• Nosotros estamos bien, pero ellos están cansados.

That last sentence shows a common real-life use: contrast. You mention one group, then set it against another.

How Gender And Number Change The Phrase

This is the part that makes Spanish feel more precise than English. English keeps “tired” the same. Spanish changes the adjective to match who is tired.

There are two things to match:

1. Plural number
2. Gender of the group

If the group is all male, use cansados. If it is mixed, Spanish also uses cansados. If the group is all female, use cansadas.

That pattern repeats with many other adjectives, so getting this one right helps far beyond this single phrase.

Common Forms At A Glance

The table below gives you the forms you are most likely to need when talking about tiredness in Spanish.

Spanish Form	Who It Refers To	English Meaning
Estoy cansado	A man or boy speaking	I am tired
Estoy cansada	A woman or girl speaking	I am tired
Estás cansado	One male person	You are tired
Estás cansada	One female person	You are tired
Está cansado	One male person, formal or third person	He is tired / You are tired
Está cansada	One female person, formal or third person	She is tired / You are tired
Estamos cansados	A group including at least one male	We are tired
Estamos cansadas	An all-female group	We are tired
Están cansados	Men or a mixed group	They are tired
Están cansadas	An all-female group	They are tired

What About Ustedes?

This is where English speakers often pause. English “they” and “you all” are different. Spanish forms can look similar at first glance because ustedes están cansados and ellos están cansados share the same verb shape.

The difference comes from the pronoun and the setting:

• Ellos / ellas = they
• Ustedes = you all

So if you are talking about a group, use ellos or ellas. If you are talking to the group, use ustedes.

Say your friends walk in after a long hike. You can tell someone else, Ellos están cansados. If you speak to the group directly, you would say, Ustedes están cansados.

Natural Sentences You Can Use Right Away

Memorizing the plain form helps, but you will use it more smoothly once you hear it in full sentences. Here are some natural patterns:

• Después del viaje, están cansados. After the trip, they are tired.
• Las niñas están cansadas y quieren dormir. The girls are tired and want to sleep.
• Ellos están cansados porque trabajaron toda la noche. They are tired because they worked all night.
• Mis primas están cansadas, pero todavía quieren salir. My cousins are tired, but they still want to go out.
• Ustedes están cansados; siéntense un rato. You all are tired; sit down for a while.

Notice how often Spanish leaves out the subject. Once the people are known, the sentence can stay lean: están cansados or están cansadas.

You can also soften or sharpen the feeling with extra words:

• Están un poco cansados. They are a little tired.
• Están muy cansadas. They are very tired.
• Están cansados de esperar. They are tired of waiting.

That last pattern matters because cansado de can mean worn out from repetition, not only sleepy or physically worn down.

Meaning You Want	Spanish	Best Use
They are tired	Están cansados / cansadas	General, everyday use
They are exhausted	Están agotados / agotadas	Stronger fatigue
They are sleepy	Tienen sueño	Sleepiness, not general fatigue
They are fed up	Están hartos / hartas	Irritation or boredom

Mistakes That Make The Phrase Sound Off

A few mistakes show up again and again. If you avoid them, your Spanish will sound more natural right away.

Using Ser Instead Of Estar

Son cansados does not mean “they are tired” in the usual sense. It can suggest that they are tiring or boring as a trait. That is a different message. For ordinary fatigue, stick with están.

Forgetting Agreement

Ellas están cansados clashes because the pronoun is feminine plural while the adjective is masculine plural. It should be ellas están cansadas.

The same problem pops up with mixed groups when learners overcorrect. If one man is in the group, standard Spanish uses cansados.

Mixing Up Tired And Sleepy

English “tired” can mean low energy, worn out, or ready for sleep. Spanish often separates those ideas more neatly. If the group needs rest after work, están cansados fits. If the group feels drowsy and wants bed, tienen sueño may fit better.

A Simple Pattern To Memorize

If you want one clean rule to store in your head, use this:

Pronoun or subject + están + adjective that matches the group.

That single pattern gives you a lot of mileage:

• Los niños están cansados.
• Las madres están cansadas.
• Mis amigos están cansados.
• Mis hermanas están cansadas.

Once you get used to matching the ending, the phrase stops feeling like a grammar problem and starts feeling automatic.

If you only want the shortest correct answer, use this rule of thumb:

• Men or mixed group:están cansados
• All-female group:están cansadas

That is the form learners need most often, and it works across everyday conversation, homework, subtitles, and travel Spanish.