gei1 ngo6飢餓饥饿
Jyutpinggei1 ngo6
Yalegēi ngoh
Definition
Hunger, or the state of being hungry without food.
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How it's used
While 飢餓 is the formal term for hunger, it is rarely used in daily spoken Cantonese. Most speakers prefer the more natural 肚餓 when describing the physical sensation of needing food. Using 飢餓 in casual conversation can sound overly dramatic or like you are reading from a textbook or news report.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often use 飢餓 as a direct translation for being hungry, but it sounds unnatural in casual settings. Stick to 肚餓 for everyday situations.
Grammar color guide
Noun
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Adjective
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
