Ways to say it
| Greek | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| πεινασμένος | peinasménos | /pi.naˈzme.nos/ |
| νηστικός | nistikós | /nistiˈkos/ |
πεινασμένος is an adjective used to describe being affected by hunger or being desirous of food. In natural conversation, Greeks often use the verb πεινάω to express the feeling of hunger instead of using the adjective.
Which one should you use?
While πεινασμένος is used for being hungry in a general sense, νηστικός refers specifically to being in a state of fasting, often for religious reasons or a specific dietary restriction.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the subject. Use πεινασμένη for a female subject, and πεινασμένο for a neuter noun such as a child (παιδί). For groups, use πεινασμένοι when referring to a group of men or a mixed-gender group and use πεινασμένες when referring to a group of women.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pi.naˈzme.nos/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The term πεινασμένος is a passive perfect participle of the verb πεινάω, even though the verb itself has no passive voice.
- The word νηστικός is not just about hunger but is tied to the Greek Orthodox calendar, where believers fast from certain foods for nearly 200 days a year.
- Because νηστικός implies a restriction, it can be used to describe certain types of 'fasting' foods, such as 'fasting sweets' that contain no dairy or eggs.
Examples in context
- Ο σκύλος φαίνεται πεινασμένος.The dog looks hungry.This sentence shows how to describe a dog that looks πεινασμένος.Tatoeba #5379467 by Zeus, translation #48275 by CK
- Το ήξερα ότι θα ήσουν πεινασμένος.I knew you'd be hungry.This sentence is a way to say you knew someone would be πεινασμένος.Tatoeba #7765203 by amoeba, translation #2375788 by CK
- Είμαι πεινασμένος επειδή δεν έφαγα μεσημεριανό.I am hungry because I did not eat lunch.This sentence explains why someone is feeling πεινασμένος.Tatoeba #3216993 by glavkos, translation #259470 by CK
- Έχετε κάτι για φαγητό. Πεινάω.Do you have something to eat? I am hungry.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Anastasia and Kostas are walking home from work.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΕίσαι πεινασμένος, Κώστα;Eísai peinasménos, Kósta?Are you hungry, Kostas?
- Κώστας KostasΝαι, πολύ! Πότε θα φάμε;Nai, polý! Póte tha fáme?Yes, very! When will we eat?
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΘα παραγγείλουμε κάτι τώρα.Tha parangíleume káti tóra.We will order something now.
- Κώστας KostasΤέλεια, γιατί είμαι πραγματικά πεινασμένος.Téleia, giatí eímai pragmatiká peinasménos.Great, because I am really hungry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hungry” translations and entries πεινασμένος, νηστικός, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries νηστικός, πεινασμένος, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
