我渴了
wǒ kě le
To say "I am thirsty" in Chinese, you say 我渴了 (wǒ kě le).
This phrase is used to express that you feel a need to drink water.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I thirsty [change of state]". The particle 了 indicates a change in state from not being thirsty to becoming thirsty.
Which one should you use?
While 我渴了 expresses the sensation of thirst, if you want to express the specific desire to drink water, you should use 我想喝水.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle 了 (le) is used to indicate a new state, which makes the phrase sound more natural than simply saying 我渴.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ kě le
Did you know?
- If you are extremely thirsty, you might use the word 渴死了 (kě sǐ le), which literally means 'thirsty to death' to express extreme thirst.
- When someone says 我渴了, a polite host may not ask what you want to drink but will instead immediately bring a glass of warm water, as cold water is often avoided for health reasons.
- The character 渴 is composed of the radical for 'water' on the left, which visually demonstrates the concept of thirst through the absence or need of liquid.
Examples in context
- 我喝水因为我渴了。I drink water because I am thirsty.This sentence shows the connection between drinking water and being thirsty.Tatoeba #726467 by tatomeimei, translation #866125 by SalsaVioleta
- 我渴了。I am thirsty.This sentence is a direct way to state that you are thirsty.Tatoeba #465911 by fucongcong, translation #1545871 by gleki
- 运动以后，我渴了。Yùndòng yǐhòu, wǒ kě le.After exercising, I am thirsty.
Example conversation
Yuting and Junjie are walking in the park.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，我渴了。Jùnjié, wǒ kě le.Junjie, I am thirsty.
- 俊杰 Junjie我也渴了，去买水吧。Wǒ yě kě le, qù mǎi shuǐ ba.I am thirsty too, let's go buy some water.
- 雨婷 Yuting那边有一个自动贩卖机。Nàbiān yǒu yīgè zìdòng fànmǎijī.There is a vending machine over there.
- 俊杰 Junjie太好了，我们快走吧。Tài hǎo le, wǒmen kuài zǒu ba.Great, let's go quickly.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
