Cansar

§ Cansar: What it Means

The Portuguese verb “cansar” means “to get tired” or “to tire.” It’s a regular -AR verb, which makes its conjugation pretty straightforward once you know the basics. You’ll use it a lot to talk about feeling fatigued, so it’s an important one to get comfortable with.

§ Conjugating Cansar (Present Tense)

Let’s look at the present tense conjugation, as this is where you'll most often encounter “cansar.”

• Eu canso (I get tired)
• Tu cansas (You get tired - informal)
• Ele/Ela/Você cansa (He/She/You get tired - formal)
• Nós cansamos (We get tired)
• Vós cansais (You all get tired - informal, rarely used in Brazil)
• Eles/Elas/Vocês cansam (They/You all get tired - formal)

Remember, Portuguese often drops the pronoun, so you’ll frequently hear just “Canso” instead of “Eu canso.”

§ Using Cansar reflexively: Cansar-se

Often, “cansar” is used reflexively as “cansar-se.” This means the subject is both performing the action and receiving it. When you say “cansar-se,” you’re literally saying “to tire oneself.”

Here's how the reflexive version looks:

• Eu me canso (I get tired)
• Tu te cansas (You get tired)
• Ele/Ela/Você se cansa (He/She/You get tired)
• Nós nos cansamos (We get tired)
• Vós vos cansais (You all get tired)
• Eles/Elas/Vocês se cansam (They/You all get tired)

§ Cansar as a transitive verb

“Cansar” can also be a transitive verb, meaning it takes a direct object. In this case, it means “to tire someone/something.”

§ Common expressions with Cansar

Here are some useful phrases you’ll hear:

This is the past participle of “cansar” and acts as an adjective. You'll hear it very often.

§ Cansar: What it Means

Definition

To get tired; to tire (someone/something out)

The verb "cansar" is pretty straightforward. It's how you express getting tired or making someone else tired. You'll hear it a lot in everyday conversations, whether people are talking about their day, their work, or their kids. It's a key verb for expressing physical and mental states.

§ In Daily Life: Work and School

You'll hear "cansar" often in work and school settings. People use it to describe how demanding their tasks are or how they feel after a long day. It's a common way to express exhaustion or the need for a break.

• At Work: When you've had a busy day, you might say "O trabalho de hoje me cansou muito" (Today's work really tired me out). Or, a colleague might say, "Estou cansado de tantas reuniões" (I'm tired of so many meetings).
• At School: Students often talk about feeling tired from studying. "As provas me cansam" (Tests tire me out) or "Estou cansado de fazer lição de casa" (I'm tired of doing homework) are common phrases. Teachers might also comment, "As crianças cansam rápido durante a aula" (The children get tired quickly during class).

§ In the News and Media

While less frequent than in personal conversation, "cansar" also appears in news reports, especially when discussing long-term situations, protests, or even political fatigue. It's used to convey a sense of weariness or exasperation among the public or certain groups.

• Social Issues: News reports might state, "A população está a cansar-se da corrupção" (The population is getting tired of corruption). This shows a collective feeling of being worn down by a persistent problem.
• Sports: In sports commentary, you might hear, "O jogador cansou no segundo tempo" (The player got tired in the second half), describing physical exhaustion during a game.

§ Related Expressions

Beyond just the verb, you'll also hear related expressions that use "cansar" or its derivative, "cansado/a" (tired):

• Estar cansado/a: To be tired. This is the most common way to express your current state of tiredness. For example, "Estou cansado hoje" (I am tired today).
• Cansativo/a: Tiring, exhaustive. Describes something that causes tiredness. "O trabalho foi muito cansativo" (The work was very tiring).
• Até cansar: Until one gets tired. Used to describe doing something for a long time. "Nós dançamos até cansar" (We danced until we got tired).

Understanding these variations will greatly improve your ability to talk about tiredness in Portuguese, in various contexts, from a casual chat with a friend to reading a news article.

§ Common Mistakes with 'Cansar'

The verb 'cansar' means 'to get tired' or 'to tire someone'. It's pretty straightforward, but Portuguese speakers sometimes use it in ways that can confuse English speakers. Let's look at the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

§ Mistake 1: Not using the reflexive form for 'to get tired'

This is the biggest one. In English, you say 'I am tired' or 'I get tired'. In Portuguese, when you are the one getting tired, you almost always use the reflexive form: 'cansar-se'.

Wrong

Eu canso muito depois do trabalho. (I tire much after work.)

Correct

Eu me canso muito depois do trabalho. (I get very tired after work.)

§ Mistake 2: Confusing 'cansar' (transitive) with 'cansar-se' (reflexive)

While 'cansar-se' means 'to get tired', the non-reflexive 'cansar' means 'to tire someone/something else'. This is important for clarity.

Example of 'cansar' (to tire someone)

Este trabalho me cansa muito. (This work tires me a lot.)

If you said 'O barulho da rua se cansa', it would mean 'The street noise gets tired', which doesn't make sense! So, pay attention to who or what is performing and receiving the action of tiring.

§ Mistake 3: Using 'ser' or 'estar' instead of 'cansar-se' for the action of getting tired

While you use 'estar' with the adjective 'cansado/a' (to be tired), you use 'cansar-se' for the process of getting tired.

• Estar cansado/a: Describes your state of being tired (already tired).

  Eu estou cansado de trabalhar. (I am tired of working.)

• Cansar-se: Describes the action of becoming tired.

  Eu me canso facilmente. (I get tired easily.)

Wrong

Eu sou cansado depois da corrida. (I am tired after the run - implying a permanent state.)

Correct

Eu me canso depois da corrida. (I get tired after the run.)

Also Correct

Eu estou cansado depois da corrida. (I am tired after the run - focusing on the current state.)

The difference is subtle but important. 'Cansar-se' emphasizes the action of becoming tired, while 'estar cansado/a' describes the resulting state.

§ Recap: How to avoid mistakes

• Use 'cansar-se' when YOU or the subject are getting tired.

  Ele se cansa com facilidade. (He gets tired easily.)

• Use 'cansar' (without 'se') when something/someone else is making someone/something tired.

  A viagem me cansa. (The trip tires me.)

• Use 'estar cansado/a' to describe the state of being tired.

  Eu estou cansada depois de correr. (I am tired after running.)

By keeping these distinctions in mind, you'll use 'cansar' like a native speaker. Practice makes perfect!

§ Cansar: To Get Tired

Definition

To get tired, to tire, to weary.

The verb 'cansar' is essential for talking about fatigue in Portuguese. It's a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugations follow a predictable pattern. You'll use it frequently in daily conversation, whether you're describing your own tiredness or someone else's.

§ Reflexive Use: Cansar-se (To get tired)

When you want to express that you or someone else is getting tired, you'll use the reflexive form 'cansar-se'. This is very common in Portuguese. The 'se' changes depending on the subject pronoun: me, te, se, nos, vos, se.

• Eu me canso (I get tired)
• Tu te cansas (You get tired - informal)
• Ele/Ela/Você se cansa (He/She/You get tired)
• Nós nos cansamos (We get tired)
• Vós vos cansais (You all get tired - informal, rarely used in Brazil)
• Eles/Elas/Vocês se cansam (They/You all get tired)

§ Transitive Use: Cansar (To tire someone/something)

You can also use 'cansar' to say that something or someone is making another person or thing tired.

§ Similar Words and When to Use 'Cansar' vs. Alternatives

While 'cansar' is your go-to verb for getting tired, you'll encounter other ways to express similar ideas. Understanding the nuances will make your Portuguese sound more natural.

Estar cansado(a) (To be tired)

This is an adjective phrase and probably the most common way to state a current state of tiredness. 'Cansar' is the action of becoming tired, while 'estar cansado(a)' is the result of that action.

Definition

To be in a state of fatigue.

Ficar exausto(a) / Ficar esgotado(a) (To become exhausted/drained)

These expressions convey a stronger sense of tiredness, closer to exhaustion. 'Exausto' and 'esgotado' are stronger adjectives than 'cansado'.

Definition

To reach a state of extreme fatigue, to be completely worn out.

Estar com sono (To be sleepy)

This phrase specifically means to be in need of sleep, not necessarily physically tired from exertion.

Definition

To feel the need to sleep.

'Cansar' for Boredom or Annoyance (Brazil specific)

In Brazilian Portuguese, 'cansar' can also extend to mean 'to get fed up' or 'to get annoyed' with something or someone, similar to the English 'to be tired of'. This is usually used with the preposition 'de'.

Definition

To get fed up with, to become annoyed by (Brazilian Portuguese).

In summary, use 'cansar' to talk about the act of getting tired, 'estar cansado(a)' to describe being tired, and 'ficar exausto(a)' for extreme tiredness. Remember the special usage of 'cansar-se de' in Brazil for being fed up.