cansar
tire · get tired
Es lo que ocurre cuando una persona pierde sus fuerzas o energía después de hacer mucho ejercicio o trabajar intensamente, necesitando descansar.
Definition & meaning
Cansar is a regular Spanish verb meaning to tire or to make someone tired. It can refer to physical or mental fatigue:
- El trabajo me cansa. — “Work makes me tired.”
- It can also mean to bore or to weary someone, especially through repetition: La película me cansó — “The movie bored me.”
In its reflexive form, cansarse means to get tired or to become weary. With de, it can mean to get tired of something: Me cansé de esperar — “I got tired of waiting.”
Grammar & Word origin
Cansar is a regular -ar verb. Its past participle is cansado (“tired”), and its gerund is cansando (“tiring”).
The reflexive form is cansarse; for example, me canso means “I get tired.” The verb comes from Late Latin campsāre. Its earlier origin and development are uncertain.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonyms include:
- fatigar — to fatigue; similar to cansar, but often somewhat more formal.
- agotar — to exhaust; generally stronger, suggesting that someone’s energy is nearly depleted.
- aburrir — to bore; focuses on lack of interest rather than physical tiredness.
Possible antonyms include:
- descansar — to rest, or to give someone a rest; the most direct contrast when cansar refers to fatigue.
- reanimar — to revive or reinvigorate; focuses on restoring energy.
Common phrases & collocations
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Examples
Me canso después de correr.verb
I get tired after running.
Trabajo mucho y me canso rápido.verb
I work a lot and I get tired quickly.
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