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March 24, 2026
餓è(e4)
The character 餓 (è) means 'hungry' or 'to be starving'. It is commonly used to describe the feeling of hunger or the condition of having no food. In certain contexts, it can also imply a sense of greed or strong desire for food.
Strokes15Radical飠Frequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, sharing food is a significant part of social interactions, and expressing hunger can be seen as a polite way of indicating a need for food during meals or gatherings.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person with an empty plate, their stomach growling as they exclaim 'è!' in desperation for food. The character 餓 has the radical for 'food' (食) at the bottom, indicating its connection to hunger and eating.
Meanings of 餓
è(e4)
1hungry; greedy
Exercise 1 of 2
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About 餓
餓Simplified
15Strokes
飠Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
Podcast: 餓
Podcast: 餓
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AI Study Notes for 餓
Quick Contrast
饥 (jī) — use 餓 (è) for a more intense or desperate state of hunger, while 饥 (jī) generally refers to being hungry without the same urgency.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a person with an empty plate, their stomach growling as they exclaim 'è!' in desperation for food. The character 餓 has the radical for 'food' (食) at the bottom, indicating its connection to hunger and eating.
Usage Notes
A common mistake is to confuse 餓 (è) with other similar-sounding words. This character is typically used in informal contexts, but can be used in formal writing to express hunger. Be careful with the tone; the falling tone 'è' is essential for correct pronunciation.
HSK Study Tips
Although 餓 is not listed in the HSK levels, it relates to basic vocabulary about food and hunger, which is essential for daily conversations. Students should focus on related vocabulary like 吃 (chī - to eat) and 饱 (bǎo - full) to build context.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, sharing food is a significant part of social interactions, and expressing hunger can be seen as a polite way of indicating a need for food during meals or gatherings.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes confuse 餓 (è) with 渴 (kě, thirsty) due to similar contexts. Remember that 餓 specifically refers to hunger, whereas 渴 refers to thirst.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 餓
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Cultural Notes for 餓
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, sharing food is a significant part of social interactions, and expressing hunger can be seen as a polite way of indicating a need for food during meals or gatherings.
Word Family of 餓
Words Containing This Character11
饿èhungry餓
饥饿jī’èhunger飢餓
挨饿to go hungry挨餓
饿鬼glutton餓鬼
忍饥挨饿rěnjīáièstarving忍飢挨餓
饿殍starving people餓殍
饿虎扑食like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey餓虎撲食
解饿to relieve hunger解餓
饱汉不知饿汉饥The well-fed cannot know how the starving suffer (idiom).飽漢不知餓漢飢
饿殍载道starved corpses fill the roads (idiom); state of famine餓殍載道
饿莩遍野starving people everywhere (idiom); a state of famine餓莩遍野
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 饿 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 餓
You can say '我饿了' (Wǒ è le), which means 'I am hungry.'
Yes, while it is more common in informal speech, you can use 餓 in formal writing to describe hunger.
