(jī è) - hungry, starving in Mandarin
jīèTraditional: 飢餓
Translation
hungry, starving
Stroke order
饥
饿
Examples
。
Some regions of Africa still face the problem of hunger.
。
He was so hungry he couldn't speak.
模。
War often leads to widespread hunger.
途，疲惫。
After the long journey we felt hungry and exhausted.
。
The government is working hard to solve the country's hunger problem.
饥饿 (jī'è) means hungry or, as a noun, hunger itself. Grammatically it behaves like a stative verb, the way most Mandarin adjectives do, so 他很饥饿 (tā hěn jī'è) reads as "he is (very) hungry" rather than needing a separate verb "to be".
It shows up most in serious registers rather than everyday small talk. If you are just peckish before dinner, Mandarin speakers reach for 饿 (è) on its own, as in 我饿了 (wǒ è le), "I'm hungry". 饥饿 (jī'è) carries more weight: 世界饥饿 (shìjiè jī'è), "world hunger", or news reports about famine and food shortages use this fuller form.
The trap for English speakers is treating 饥饿 (jī'è) as casually as "hungry" in English. Using it to mean "I could eat" sounds oddly dramatic to a native ear, closer to "I'm starving" than "I'm a bit hungry".
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饥饿: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Mandarin word "饥饿" (hungry, starving): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 109.