HSK 3, v, 10 strokes, radical 饣, rank #1021, Medium
饿
è
hungry
HSK 3, v, 10 strokes, radical 饣, rank #1021, Medium
饿
è
hungry; greedy
HSK 3, v, 10 strokes, radical 饣, rank #1021, Medium
饿
è
to starve (sb)
HSK 3, unknown, 10 strokes, radical 饣, rank #1021, Medium
è(e4) T4
1to be hungry
2hungry
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March 24, 2026
饿(餓)è(e4)
The character 饿 (è) means 'to be hungry' and is commonly used to describe the physical sensation of hunger. It can also convey a sense of greediness in certain contexts, indicating an intense desire for food or sustenance.
Strokes10Radical饣Frequency#1021DifficultyMedium
Cultural Note
Food plays a significant role in Chinese culture, with the act of sharing meals often symbolizing community and hospitality. The word 饿 is frequently used in everyday life, reflecting the importance of food in social interactions.
Memory Tip
Imagine a person with a large 'E' (for 'è') on their shirt, looking starved and desperately searching for food. The character's components suggest a craving, as the top part resembles a person (亻) and the bottom part suggests an empty belly.
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AI Study Notes for 饿
Quick Contrast
饥 (jī) — use 饿 (è) for a general state of hunger, while 饥 (jī) often emphasizes a more severe or acute form of hunger.
Usage Notes
Learners should be cautious not to confuse 饿 (è) with 额 (é), which means 'forehead.' It's typically used in informal contexts, and common collocations include 饿了 (è le) meaning 'I'm hungry.' Pay attention to the tone, as mispronouncing it can change the meaning.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK 3 word, 饿 connects well with other vocabulary related to food and feelings, like 饭 (fàn, rice/meal) and 饥饿 (jī è, hunger). Students should focus on using it in sentences to express their own hunger or cravings.
Common Mistakes
Learners often forget to use the correct tone and say 'e' instead of 'è,' which can lead to confusion. Additionally, some might incorrectly use 饿 to describe emotional 'hunger' instead of physical hunger, which can be misleading.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 饿
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Simplified form of 餓. Phonosemantic compound. 飠 represents the meaning and 我 represents the sound.
1The giveawayTo want 我 food 饣; 我 also provides the pronunciation
2On the record asideographic — someone drew an idea rather than an object.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 饿? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1
Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 饿?
Decomposition of 饿
IDS Structure⿰饣我
饿Full Character
=
饣shi2
left
我wo3
right
Exercise 1 of 2
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 饿?
How to say to be hungry in Chinese
“to be hungry” in Chinese is饿è
The character 饿 (è) means 'to be hungry' and is commonly used to describe the physical sensation of hunger. It can also convey a sense of greediness in certain contexts, indicating an intense desire for food or sustenance.
When to use 饿
Learners should be cautious not to confuse 饿 (è) with 额 (é), which means 'forehead.' It's typically used in informal contexts, and common collocations include 饿了 (è le) meaning 'I'm hungry.' Pay attention to the tone, as mispronouncing it can change the meaning.
饿 or something close to it
饥 (jī) — use 饿 (è) for a general state of hunger, while 饥 (jī) often emphasizes a more severe or acute form of hunger.
What learners get wrong
Learners often forget to use the correct tone and say 'e' instead of 'è,' which can lead to confusion. Additionally, some might incorrectly use 饿 to describe emotional 'hunger' instead of physical hunger, which can be misleading.
Write 饿
饿
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Grammar Patterns of 饿
饿 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 4 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.
Coca is well-known for reducing hunger, thirst and fatigue.
vhungry4
11
他工作了一整天，现在非常饿。
Tā gōngzuòle yī zhěng tiān, xiànzài fēicháng è.
He worked all day and is now very hungry.
12
我们先去吃饭吧，我有点饿了。
Wǒmen xiān qù chīfàn ba, wǒ yǒudiǎn è le.
Let's go eat first, I'm a bit hungry.
13
他工作了一整天，现在非常饿。
Tā gōngzuòle yī zhěng tiān, xiànzài fēicháng è.
He worked all day and is now very hungry.
14
我们先去吃饭吧，我有点饿了。
Wǒmen xiān qù chīfàn ba, wǒ yǒudiǎn è le.
Let's go eat first, I'm a bit hungry.
Cultural Notes for 饿
💡Did you know?
In Chinese culture, food is often associated with feelings. When someone says '我饿' (I am hungry), it can also imply a need for emotional comfort, as sharing meals is a common way to connect with others.
Word Family of 饿
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 饿
Synonyms for 饿 (è) include 饥饿 (jī è), which also means 'hungry.' Both terms can be used interchangeably, but 饥饿 is often used in more formal contexts.
To express hunger in Chinese, you can say '我饿' (Wǒ è) for 'I am hungry' or '我很饿' (Wǒ hěn è) for 'I am very hungry.' You can also ask someone if they are hungry by saying '你饿吗?' (Nǐ è ma?).
饿 (è) means 'to be hungry' or 'hungry' in Chinese. It can also imply a sense of greediness in certain contexts. Additionally, it can be used to describe the state of starvation for someone.
You can use 饿 (è) in a sentence like '我饿了' (Wǒ è le), which means 'I am hungry.' It can also be used in expressions such as '他饿死了' (Tā è sǐ le), meaning 'He is starving.'
You can say '我饿了' (wǒ è le) which means 'I am hungry.'
Generally, 饿 is more informal; in formal situations, you might discuss hunger in a more abstract way.
The opposite is 饱 (bǎo), which means 'full' or 'satiated.'
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