หิว
hǐu/hiw˩˩˦/
The English word 'hungry' is translated into Thai as หิว (hǐu). Wiktionary also lists ท้องเลว (tóng leo).
Meaning: affected by hunger, desirous of food (adj)
Ways to say it
| Thai | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| หิว | hǐu | /hiw˩˩˦/ |
| ท้องเลว | tóng leo |
หิว is the standard and most versatile way to say 'hungry' in Thai. Beyond physical hunger, it can also function as a prefix for other types of craving. For example, หิวน้ำ (hǐu náam) means being thirsty. In colloquial speech, speakers often add the word for rice (khâao) after 'hungry' to create the phrase หิวข้าว, which means being hungry for a meal in general.
Which one should you use?
หิว is the standard term for being hungry. ท้องเลว is another form provided.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that you are 'very hungry', you can add the word มาก (mâak) after หิว to form หิวมาก.
How do you pronounce it?
/hiw˩˩˦/
Did you know?
- Thai speakers may use the phrase หิวจนไส้กิ่ว to describe extreme hunger, which literally translates to 'so hungry that the intestines have shrunk'.
- The word หิว (hǐu) is also used to express a craving for things that are not food, such as หิวแสง (hǐu sǎeng), which literally means 'hungry for light' but describes someone seeking attention or fame.
- Adding the particle หิวจัง (hǐu jang) instead of หิวมาก makes the hunger sound like a cute or playful complaint, often used by couples or children.
Examples in context
- ฉันหิวI was hungry.This sentence shows how to express that you were hungry using หิว.Tatoeba #8692166 by pastelite, translation #64956 by CK
- ฉันหิว!I'm hungry!This sentence shows how to express being hungry using หิว.Tatoeba #7878415 by pastelite, translation #404096 by CK
- หิวมั้ยHungry?This sentence shows how to ask if someone is hungry using หิว.Tatoeba #8669270 by pastelite, translation #457629 by FeuDRenais
- ฉันหิวมากI'm very hungry.
- คุณรู้สึกหิวไหมAre you feeling hungry?
- หิวแล้วหรอคะAre you hungry?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Teerapat and Sirin are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatสิรินทร์ หิวหรือยังSirin hiw rue yangSirin, are you hungry yet?
- สิรินทร์ Sirinหิวแล้วค่ะhiw laeo khaI am hungry now.
- ธีรภัทร Theeraphatไปกินข้าวกันเถอะpai kin khao kan thoeLet's go eat.
- สิรินทร์ Sirinไปค่ะpai khaLet's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hungry” translations and entries หิว, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
