Πεινάω
Peináo/piˈna.o/
To say "I am hungry" in Greek, use Πεινάω (Peináo).
Πεινάω is used to express a physical need for food.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /piˈna.o/. It has three syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to use a form of the verb "to be" (είμαι) with an adjective to express hunger. Instead, you should use the standalone verb Πεινάω, which means "to hunger" or "to feel hunger".
Did you know?
- In Greek, you can express extreme hunger by saying Πεινάω σαν λύκος, which translates to 'I am hungry like a wolf'.
- The Ancient Greek ancestor of the word, πεινάω, was used by classical philosophers to describe not just physical hunger, but a profound longing or 'hunger' for knowledge and truth.
- To describe being 'starving', Greeks may use the phrase Πεθαίνω από την πείνα, which literally means 'I am dying from the hunger'.
Examples in context
- Πεινάω.I am hungry.This example shows how to use Πεινάω to state that you are hungry.Tatoeba #1333185 by enteka, translation #409602 by CC
- Πεινάω πολύ τώρα.Pinao poli tora.I am very hungry now.
- Πεινάω, ας φάμε κάτι.Pinao, as fame kati.I am hungry, let's eat something.
Example conversation
Kostas and Anastasia are walking in the city.
- Κώστας KostasΑναστασία, πεινάω πολύ.Anastasía, peináo polý.Anastasia, I am very hungry.
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΚι εγώ πεινάω επίσης.Ki egó peináo epísis.I am hungry too.
- Κώστας KostasΤι θέλεις να φάμε;Ti thélis na fáme?What do you want to eat?
- Αναστασία AnastasiaΑς πάμε σε μια ταβέρνα.As páme se mia tavérna.Let's go to a tavern.
Sources
- Pronunciation from the Wiktionary entry πεινάω.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries πεινάω, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
