너무 배고파
neomu baegopa
The English phrase "I am so hungry" is expressed in Korean as 너무 배고파 (neomu baegopa).
This phrase is used to express that a person feels a strong need for food.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 너무 (neomu) meaning "too much" or "so" and 배고파 (baegopa) meaning "hungry".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal situations, you can use the polite form 너무 배고파요 or the highly formal version 너무 배고픕니다, which is suitable for professional settings or news broadcasts.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can adjust the level of politeness by changing the ending. Adding the suffix 요 to the end of 너무 배고파 creates the polite form 너무 배고파요, suitable for speaking to strangers or elders. For a highly formal tone, use 너무 배고픕니다.
How do you pronounce it?
neomu baegopa
Did you know?
- While 너무 배고파 is common, using 배고파 죽겠어 (baegopa jukgesseo) is a very popular way to say you are 'starving to death'.
- In certain social contexts, instead of saying you are hungry, you might ask 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo?), which means 'Did you eat?'
- The word 너무 originally meant 'to surpass' or 'to go over' a limit, derived from the verb 넘다 (neomda).
Examples in context
- 밥 먹고 싶어. 배고파!I want to eat rice. I am hungry!
- 치킨이 땡겨. 배고파!I am craving chicken. I am hungry!
- 아, 너무 배고파.a, neomu baegopa.Ah, I am so hungry.
- 점심 전이라 너무 배고파요.jeomsim jeonira neomu baegopayo.I am so hungry because it is before lunch.
- 아침을 안 먹어서 너무 배고파.achim-eul an meogeoseo neomu baegopa.I am so hungry because I didn't eat breakfast.
Example conversation
Two friends are walking through a park in the afternoon.
- 수빈 Su-bin현우야, 나 너무 배고파.Hyeon-u-ya, na neomu baegopa.Hyeon-u, I am so hungry.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo나도 그래. 뭐 먹으러 갈까?Nado geurae. Mwo meogeureo galkka?Me too. Shall we go eat something?
- 수빈 Su-bin응, 빨리 떡볶이 먹고 싶어.Eung, ppalli tteokbokki meokgo sipeo.Yes, I want to eat tteokbokki quickly.
- 현우 Hyeon-woo좋아, 바로 가자!Joa, baro gaja!Good, let's go right now!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 너무, CC BY-SA 4.0.
