Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 空腹な | kūfuku na |
| 飢えた | |
| お腹が空いている | onaka ga suite iru |
| 腹が減っている | hara ga hette iru |
| 饑い | hidarui |
Japanese speakers use different expressions to describe the sensation of being hungry. You can use polite, everyday phrases like お腹が空いている to state you are hungry or use more casual and rougher versions like 腹が減っている. In very casual speech, it is common to use the past tense お腹が空いた to mean 'I've become hungry' or 'I am hungry now'. For extreme cases, such as being famished or in a state of starvation, the term 飢えた is used.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase お腹が空いている literally means 'the stomach is empty'.
Which one should you use?
The forms differ significantly in tone and nuance. 空腹な is a formal or clinical term for hunger. お腹が空いている is the standard, polite or neutral way to express hunger in everyday conversation. In contrast, 腹が減っている is a more blunt, casual and typically masculine expression. 飢えた is a literary or dramatic term used to imply a state of extreme hunger or starvation.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual conversation, people often shorten the continuous form お腹が空いている to the past tense お腹が空いた to express that they are currently hungry.
How do you pronounce it?
kūfuku na
Did you know?
- In very casual slang, young people may use the word ぺこぺこ to describe the sound or feeling of hunger. This onomatopoeia mimics the sound of a shrinking stomach.
- The word 腹 in 腹が減っている refers to the belly, but it is also the center of emotion in Japanese. This is why phrases for being angry or determined also use the word 腹.
- When someone says お腹が空いた in a group, it is often interpreted as a subtle social cue for the group to decide on a restaurant, rather than a direct complaint about hunger.
Examples in context
- 少しお腹が空いている。I'm feeling a bit hungry.This is useful for stating that you are feeling a bit hungry using お腹が空いている.Tatoeba #4283792 by hallelujahaluya, translation #3737520 by CK
- とてもお腹が空いているの。I'm as hungry as a bear.This is useful for expressing intense hunger using お腹が空いている.Tatoeba #200655 by small_snow, translation #37857 by CK
- お腹が空いているなら食べてください！If you're feeling hungry, then please eat!This is useful for offering food to someone who is feeling hungry using お腹が空いている.Tatoeba #4212062 by KK_kaku_, translation #7766911 by metcaslix
- きょうは朝からずっと空腹で我慢しています。I've been hungry all day since morning, and I'm enduring it.
- ごめん、お腹がすいたからちょっと外食しよう。Sorry, I'm hungry, so let's eat out.
- 今日は食べるものもなくて、お腹がペコペコです。Today, there's nothing to eat, and my stomach is growling.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are walking to a restaurant.
- 健太 Kenta結衣、まだ空腹なの？Yui, mada kūfuku na no?Yui, are you still hungry?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、すごく空腹な状態だよ。Un, sugoku kūfuku na jōtai dayo.Yeah, I'm in a very hungry state.
- 健太 Kentaじゃあ、急いで店に行こう。Jaa, isoide mise ni ikō.Then let's hurry to the restaurant.
- 結衣 Yui賛成！早く食べたい！Sansei! Hayaku tabetai!Agreed! I want to eat soon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hungry” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
