Japanese word

飢え

Pronunciation

Romajiue

Meaning

  • nounhunger

Example

激しい飢えは人を弱らせます。hage shi i u e wa hito o yowa ra se ma su

Severe hunger weakens people.

Illustration for 飢え (hunger)

More examples

長時間の労働の後、彼は激しい飢えを感じました。chō ji kan no rō dō no ato kare wa hage shi i u e o kan ji ma shi ta

After working for many hours, he felt intense hunger.

Core concept

Centers on the physical need for food that arises when a person lacks enough to eat and becomes weak or distressed.

Common phrases

  • 飢えに耐えるu e ni ta e ru

    endure hunger

  • 飢えに襲われるu e ni oso wa re ru

    be overcome by hunger

  • 飢えをしのぐu e o shi no gu

    ward off hunger

Similar words

空腹kūfuku: The physical state of needing food because the stomach is empty or nearly empty.
飢餓kiga: A serious lack of food that causes continuing physical weakness or distress.
ひもじさhimojisa: A painful feeling of needing food, especially after going without it for some time.

Definition in Japanese

食べ物を十分に得られず、空腹に苦しむ状態。ta be mono o jū bun ni e ra re zu kū fuku ni kuru shi mu jō tai

Word origin

The noun 飢え (ue, "hunger") is the nominalized continuative form of 飢える (ueru, "to be hungry"), a native Japanese verb.

Usage tips

  • In Japanese, 飢え (ue, "hunger") often suggests prolonged or serious lack of food, while 空腹 (kūfuku, "an empty stomach") can describe ordinary hunger before a meal.

Other meanings

  • starvationnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word