I’m hungry: 我肚子饿了 (wǒ dùzi è le)
Sentence Breakdown:
我肚子饿了 (wǒ dùzi è le)
- 我 (wǒ) – I / me
- 肚子 (dùzi) – stomach (a casual way to refer to your belly)
- 饿 (è) – hungry
- 了 (le) – a particle showing a change of state (now I’m hungry)
🔹 So it literally means: “My stomach is hungry now” → “I’m hungry.”
✅ Other Ways to Say “I’m Hungry” in Chinese:
- 我饿了 (wǒ è le) – I’m hungry.
- Simpler version without “stomach.” Very common.
- 我好饿 (wǒ hǎo è) – I’m so hungry.
- “好” means “very/really” here.
- Used to emphasize how hungry you are.
- 我肚子咕咕叫了 (wǒ dùzi gū gū jiào le) – My stomach is growling.
- Sounds more descriptive and fun.
- “咕咕叫” is the onomatopoeia for growling sounds.
- 我快饿死了 (wǒ kuài è sǐ le) – I’m starving.
- Literally: “I’m about to be hungry to death.”
- Very dramatic and casual. Don’t use in formal settings.
🗣️ Practice Sentences:
- 我饿了,我们去吃饭吧!
(Wǒ è le, wǒmen qù chīfàn ba!)
→ I’m hungry, let’s go eat! - 你饿不饿?
(Nǐ è bù è?)
→ Are you hungry? - 他肚子饿了,所以他在找吃的。
(Tā dùzi è le, suǒyǐ tā zài zhǎo chī de.)
→ He’s hungry, so he’s looking for food. - 我们吃晚饭吧,我快饿死了!
(Wǒmen chī wǎnfàn ba, wǒ kuài è sǐ le!)
→ Let’s eat dinner, I’m starving!