Я устал и хочу отдохнуть.

I am tired and want to rest.

Breakdown of Я устал и хочу отдохнуть.

• я: I
• и: and
• хотеть: to want
• отдохнуть: to rest

Questions & Answers about Я устал и хочу отдохнуть.

Why is устал in the past tense if the meaning is “I am tired”?

In Russian, the past tense of a perfective verb often expresses a present state as the result of a completed action. Уста́л is the masculine past of perfective уста́ть (to get tired). So Я уста́л literally means “I got tired,” implying “I am (now) tired.” Compare:

• Я устаю́ = “I am getting tired” (ongoing process, imperfective).
• Я уста́л = “I’m tired now” (result of having gotten tired).

How would a woman or a group say this?

The verb in the past agrees with gender/number:

• Male: Я уста́л
• Female: Я устала́
• Neuter (for impersonal subjects): Оно уста́ло
• Plural: Мы/Вы/Они уста́ли

With polite “you”: Вы уста́ли?

Can I say Я усталый to mean “I’m tired”?

Not in the usual sense. Уста́лый is an adjective meaning “weary/tired-looking” and is used predicatively mainly with copular contexts or as an attribute:

• Natural: Он вы́глядит уста́лым. (“He looks tired.”)
• Natural: У него уста́лый ви́д. (“He has a tired look.”)
• Unnatural for the momentary state: Я уста́лый. Prefer Я уста́л.