gei1饑
Jyutpinggei1
Yalegēi
Definition
Famine, or to be hungry.
- famine; dearth
- hungry; starving
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How it's used
The character 饑 is almost exclusively used in formal, literary, or written contexts to describe famine or severe hunger. In everyday spoken Cantonese, native speakers use 肚餓 to express the physical sensation of being hungry. Using 饑 in casual conversation will sound unnatural or overly dramatic.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake 饑 for a common verb, but it is rarely used as a standalone predicate in speech. Always use 肚餓 for daily communication.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
