我饿了
Wǒ è le
In Chinese, the English phrase "I am hungry" is expressed as 我饿了 (Wǒ è le).
The most common and straightforward way to say you feel a need for food is 我饿了. If you want to be more specific about the sensation in your stomach, you can use 我肚子饿了. For extreme hunger, you can say 我饿死了 to mean "I am starving" or use 饿得都快不行了 to mean "I am so hungry I can't take it anymore."
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 我饿了 literally translates to "I hungry [change of state]", where the particle 了 indicates a change of state from not being hungry to being hungry.
Which one should you use?
While 我饿了 describes the feeling of hunger itself, note that it is different from 我没吃东西, which describes the fact that you haven't eaten anything. You can also use 肚子好饿啊 to add emphasis and convey a sense of longing or desire.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 饿 functions as an adjective meaning "hungry" and does not require a linking verb like "am" to form a sentence. In the phrase 我饿死了, adding 死了 after the adjective creates an intensive form.
How do you pronounce it?
Wǒ è le
Did you know?
- In many Chinese contexts, if you say you are hungry, a host might interpret it as a subtle hint to provide food rather than just a medical observation of your state.
- When you want to say you are starving, the common expression 我饿死了 literally translates to 'I am hungry to death'.
- The particle 了 in 我饿了 is not a past tense marker, but a 'change of state' marker. It signals that you were not hungry a moment ago, but now you are.
Examples in context
- 我饿了！I am hungry.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase 我饿了.Tatoeba #378886 by dreiundzwanzig, translation #409602 by CC
- 我饿了，我想吃面条 (wǒ è le, wǒ xiǎng chī miàntiáo)I am hungry. I want to eat noodles.
- 我饿了，我们去吃饭吧。Wǒ è le, wǒmen qù chīfàn ba.I am hungry, let's go eat.
Example conversation
Junjie and Xiaowen are walking home after a long afternoon.
- 俊杰 Junjie晓雯，我饿了。Xiǎowén, wǒ è le.Xiaowen, I am hungry.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我也饿了，去吃面吧。Wǒ yě è le, qù chī miàn ba.I am hungry too, let's go eat noodles.
- 俊杰 Junjie好，走吧。Hǎo, zǒu ba.Okay, let's go.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen俊杰快点。Jùnjié kuài diǎn.Hurry up, Junjie.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
