饿 (è) - Hungry & to starve

饿Tone 4

è ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

丁恩

饿 · è

Hungry;

to starve;

to be famished;

to cause hunger.

Hungryto starveto be famished

Usage highlights

HungryStarve to deathHunger strikeHunger and coldSuffer from hungerHunger pangs

Synonyms

  • 饥— Famine; hunger (often used in compound words)
  • 馑— Famine; crop failure (literary)

Antonyms

  • 饱— Full (after eating)
  • 足— Sufficient; satisfied

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I am very hungry (我饿了).
  • The child is crying from hunger (小孩饿哭了).
  • This diet will make you hungry (这个节食法会让你饿).
  • He died of starvation (他饿死了).

Collocations

  • Hungry(饿了)
  • Starve to death(饿死)
  • Hunger strike(绝食抗议 can be 饿饭 in some contexts)
  • Hunger and cold(饥寒交迫)
  • Suffer from hunger(挨饿)
  • Hunger pangs(饿得慌)

Idioms

  • So hungry that the stomach is stuck to the back(饥肠辘辘)
  • Endure hunger and bear cold(挨饿受冻)
  • Hungry and thirsty(饥渴)
  • Hungry without choosing food(饥不择食)
  • Feed a tiger to satisfy hunger(饮鸩止渴 - uses 'thirst' metaphorically)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically associated with famine and poverty in agrarian Chinese society.
  • The character combines 'food' (食) with 'my, I' (我), suggesting a personal, pressing need for sustenance.
  • In Buddhist cosmology, 'hungry ghost' (饿鬼) is one of the six realms of rebirth, representing beings tormented by insatiable desire.

FAQ