بھوکا
bhūkā/bʱuː.kɑː/
The Urdu word for hungry is بھوکا (bhūkā).
بھوکا is an adjective used to describe someone who is affected by hunger or desirous of food.
Meaning: affected by hunger, desirous of food (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes depending on the gender and number of the subject. To say "I am hungry" as a male, use بھوکا ہوں (bhūkā hū̃), but as a female, use بھوکی ہوں (bhūkī hū̃). The adjective changes to بھوکی (bhūkī) to agree with a feminine subject, and it changes to بھوکے (bhūke) when referring to a group of males or a mixed-gender group.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /bʱuː.kɑː/ (bhūkā). It has two syllables.
Did you know?
- Urdu speakers may use the phrase بھوک لگنا (bhūk lagnā), which literally means 'hunger is attaching itself' to me, rather than simply saying they 'are' hungry.
- In poetic Urdu, hunger is often personified as a guest or a companion that arrives uninvited, rather than just a biological signal.
- In Urdu, the word بھوک (hunger) is often used metaphorically to describe an intense craving for things other than food, such as علم کی بھوک for a 'hunger for knowledge'.
Examples in context
- مجھے بھوک لگی ہوئی ہے، کچھ مزیدار چاہیےI am hungry, I want something delicious.
- کیا بچہ بھوکا ہے؟kya bacha bhooka hai?Is the baby hungry?
- وہ بہت بھوکا نظر آ رہا ہے۔woh bohat bhooka nazar aa raha hai.He looks very hungry.
Example conversation
Aisha and Umar are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- عائشہ Ayeshaعمر، کیا تم بھوکا ہو؟Umar, kya tum bhooka ho?Umar, are you hungry?
- عمر Omarہاں، میں بہت بھوکا ہوں۔Haan, mein bohat bhooka hoon.Yes, I am very hungry.
- عائشہ Ayeshaچلو کچھ کھاتے ہیں۔Chalo kuch khaate hain.Let's eat something.
- عمر Omarٹھیک ہے، چلو چلیں۔Theek hai, chalo chalen.Okay, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hungry” translations and entries بھوکا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
