枵
iau
The Hokkien word for hungry is 枵 (iau).
枵 is an adjective used to describe the state of being affected by hunger or having a desire for food.
Meaning: affected by hunger, desirous of food (adj)
How do you pronounce it?
iau
Did you know?
- In casual conversation, 枵 (iau) is often paired with 死 (sí), meaning 'death', to create the phrase 枵死 (iau-sí) meaning 'starving to death' without implying actual danger.
- Depending on the region, 枵 (iau) may be used in a phrase to describe a 'hungry' spirit or ghost that has not been given offerings during the Ghost Festival.
- In some regions, 枵 (iau) can be used hyperbolically to describe an intense craving for something other than food, such as a craving for gossip.
Examples in context
- 枵嗎？Hungry?This example shows how to ask if someone is hungry using 枵.Tatoeba #13246668 by tsunhua, translation #457629 by FeuDRenais
- 伊枵矣。He is hungry (already).
- 伊枵到無力。i hiaⁿ kàu bōo li̍t.He is so hungry that he has no strength.
- 我真枵。guá chin hiaⁿ.I am very hungry.
Example conversation
Zhiming and Xiaowen are deciding what to do for lunch.
- 志明 Chi-ming曉雯，你枵袂枵？Xiǎowén, lí pōa bē pōa?Xiaowen, are you hungry?
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun我真枵，想欲食麵。guá chin pōa, siáng-beh chia̍h mī.I'm very hungry, I want to eat noodles.
- 志明 Chi-ming我也枵，咱就去食。guá iā pōa, lán tō khì chia̍h.I'm hungry too, let's go eat.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun好，快點走吧！hó, kuài-tiám tsáu-pah!Okay, let's go quickly!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
