筋疲力尽

1. Basic Information

• Pinyin: jīn pí lì jìn
• English Translation: Exhausted (Muscles tired and strength depleted)
• Idiom Composition: 「筋」（Muscles or tendons）＋「疲」（Tired or fatigued）＋「力」（Strength or physical power）＋「尽」（Exhausted, finished, or used up）
• Meaning: A state where one's muscles are fatigued and physical strength is completely used up. It describes being utterly exhausted or worn out to the point of being unable to move, whether due to physical or mental exertion.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「筋疲力尽」 contains the following nuances:

• Extreme Depletion: It signifies more than just being 'tired'; it refers to a total lack of energy where one feels they cannot take another step.
• Physical and Mental Fatigue: While primarily used for physical labor or exercise, it also applies to the mental exhaustion following high-pressure situations or long-term stress.

3. Usage

「筋疲力尽」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

• Physical labor or exercise: The most common usage, describing the feeling of the body being heavy as lead immediately after intense sports, mountain climbing, or long hours of manual labor.
  • Example:「跑完马拉松全程后，他感到筋疲力尽，直接躺在了草地上。」
    （After running the full marathon, he felt completely exhausted and lay directly on the grass.）
• Long hours of work or study: Describes a state where neither mental nor physical energy remains after continuous activity without rest, such as consecutive overtime or cramming for exams.
  • Example:「为了赶项目进度，整个团队连续加班了一周，大家都筋疲力尽了。」
    （To catch up with the project schedule, the entire team worked overtime for a week, and everyone was worn out.）
• Dealing with difficult situations: Expresses the fatigue felt after overcoming situations that wear down both mind and body, such as handling emergencies or nursing the sick.
  • Example:「照顾生病的孩子几天几夜没合眼，这位母亲已经筋疲力尽。」
    （After looking after her sick child for several days and nights without sleep, this mother was already at the end of her rope.）

Additional Examples:

1. 虽然筋疲力尽，但看到山顶的日出，我觉得一切都值得了。
   （Although I was exhausted, seeing the sunrise from the mountain top made me feel it was all worth it.）
2. 这场激烈的辩论让双方都感到筋疲力尽。
   （This intense debate left both sides utterly drained.）
3. 搬了一整天的家，我现在筋疲力尽，只想睡觉。
   （After moving house all day, I am dead tired and just want to sleep.）
4. 他在暴风雨中挣扎了几个小时，上岸时已是筋疲力尽。
   （He struggled in the storm for several hours and was completely spent by the time he reached the shore.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

• Chinese has a rich variety of idioms to describe fatigue, such as 疲惫不堪 (pí bèi bù kān) or 精疲力竭 (jīng pí lì jié). This reflects a long history of literary focus on perseverance through hardship and labor.
• There are slight variations in writing, such as 精疲力尽 (jīng pí lì jìn), which swaps 'muscles' (筋 - jīn) for 'spirit/essence' (精 - jīng). In modern usage, they are often used interchangeably to mean total exhaustion.
• The phrase has deep roots in classical literature, appearing in works like the 'Memorandum on the Affairs of Huaixi' (论淮西事宜状) by the Tang Dynasty scholar Han Yu (韩愈) and the writings of the Song Dynasty historian Sima Guang (司马光).

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

• Similar Idioms:
  • 疲惫不堪 (pí bèi bù kān): To be in a state of unbearable fatigue.link
  • 精疲力竭 (jīng pí lì jié): To have exhausted both one's spirit and physical strength.link
• Opposite Idioms:
  • 精力充沛 (jīng lì chōng pèi): To be full of energy and vigor.
  • 精神抖擞 (jīng shén dǒu sǒu): To be full of spirit and animation.
  • 朝气蓬勃 (zhāo qì péng bó): Full of youthful vigor and vitality.link
  • 容光焕发 (róng guāng huàn fā): To be radiant and glowing with health and happiness.link

6. Summary

筋疲力尽 (jīn pí lì jìn) describes a state of extreme exhaustion where every ounce of energy has been drained. While it literally refers to the muscles (筋 - jīn) and strength (力 - lì) being finished (尽 - jìn), it is used for both physical fatigue after sports or labor and mental burnout after long periods of stress. It is the perfect phrase to use when you feel **completely spent** or **dead tired**.