neoi5餒馁

Jyutpingneoi5

Yalenéuih

Definition

Dispirited, discouraged, or weak; also historically referring to hunger or rotting fish.

dispirited; discouraged; disheartened
literaryhungry; starving
archaicrotting fish

writtenemotionhealth

How it's used

While this character historically covers meanings like rotting fish, in modern spoken Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used to describe a state of being physically drained or emotionally discouraged. It carries a nuance of lacking energy or spirit due to hunger or setback, rather than just simple hunger. It is a more literary or descriptive term compared to the common 肚餓.

Examples

ngo5我tou5肚ngo6餓dou3到hou2好neoi5餒aa4呀。

I am so hungry that I feel weak and dispirited.

nei5你hai6係mai6咪jan1因wai6為sat1失baai6敗ji4而gok3覺dak1得hou2好neoi5餒？

Are you feeling dispirited because of the failure?

Common phrases

hei3氣neoi5餒

to feel discouraged

neoi5餒joek6弱

weak and dispirited

Common mistake

Do not use this word to describe the simple physical sensation of needing food, as it implies a secondary effect of lethargy or loss of morale. Most native speakers will default to 肚餓 for hunger, reserving 餒 for more expressive or written contexts.