Chinese Conversation · Level 8
90 words
Chinese word
空腹
Pronunciation
Pinyinkōng fù
Meaning
- adjectiveon an empty stomach
Example
请不要空腹服药。qǐng bú yào kōng fù fú yào
Please do not take medicine on an empty stomach.
More examples
早上他空腹先喝了一杯水。zǎo shàng tā kōng fù xiān hē le yì bēi shuǐ
In the morning, he first drank a glass of water on an empty stomach.
Core concept
The physical state created when the stomach has no food to digest.
Common phrases
在空腹时zài kōng fù shí
on an empty stomach
觉得空腹jué de kōng fù
feel hungry
空腹喝酒kōng fù hē jiǔ
drink alcohol on an empty stomach
Similar words
饿è: Feeling the need for food in the usual everyday sense.
饥饿jī è: Severe hunger linked to not getting enough food or nourishment.
肚子饿dù zi è: Feeling hungry in a relaxed, spoken way that refers to the stomach.
Definition in Chinese
肚子饿，身体需要进食的一种生理状态。dù zi è shēn tǐ xū yào jìn shí de yì zhǒng shēng lǐ zhuàng tài
Word origin
The compound 空腹 (kōngfù, "empty stomach") joins 空 (kōng, "empty") with 腹 (fù, "abdomen"), so the word names hunger through the condition of the stomach.
Usage tips
- English speakers often use hungry for the feeling, but 空腹 (kōngfù, "empty stomach") often appears when a food-related physical condition matters, especially in health contexts.