Meanings of 飢
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About 飢
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Podcast: 飢
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AI Study Notes for 飢
饥 (jī) — use 饥 for a more general or common context of hunger, while 飢 may imply a more severe or dire state of starvation.
Be careful not to confuse 飢 (jī) with similar-sounding characters like 机 (jī), which means 'machine.' This word is generally neutral in tone but can carry a serious connotation in discussions about famine. Common collocations include '飢荒' (jīhuāng), meaning famine, or '飢餓' (jī'è), meaning hunger.
While 飢 is not included in HSK vocabulary lists, understanding it can enhance your grasp of related terms at HSK Level 3 and above, especially those that discuss food and health. Focus on related phrases and the context in which they are used.
Learners often confuse 飢 (jī) with the character 餓 (è), which also means hungry but is more commonly used in everyday conversation. For example, saying '我飢' instead of '我餓' would sound overly formal or unusual in casual speech.
Pronunciation of 飢
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Etymology of 飢
Phonosemantic compound. 饣 represents the meaning and 几 represents the sound. Simplified form of 飢.
food
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 飢
Phonosemantic compound. 饣 represents the meaning and 几 represents the sound. Simplified form of 飢.
- 1The meaning half飠 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half几 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayfood
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 飢? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
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Decomposition of 飢
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How to say hungry, starving; hunger, famine in Chinese
“hungry, starving; hunger, famine” in Chinese is飢
The character 飢 (jī) signifies a state of hunger or starvation. It can describe both physical hunger and the broader concept of famine, often used in contexts related to food scarcity or need. This character is commonly encountered in discussions about nutrition, health, and even historical events related to famine.
When to use 飢
Be careful not to confuse 飢 (jī) with similar-sounding characters like 机 (jī), which means 'machine.' This word is generally neutral in tone but can carry a serious connotation in discussions about famine. Common collocations include '飢荒' (jīhuāng), meaning famine, or '飢餓' (jī'è), meaning hunger.
飢 or something close to it
饥 (jī) — use 饥 for a more general or common context of hunger, while 飢 may imply a more severe or dire state of starvation.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 飢 (jī) with the character 餓 (è), which also means hungry but is more commonly used in everyday conversation. For example, saying '我飢' instead of '我餓' would sound overly formal or unusual in casual speech.
Write 飢
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Practice writing 飢 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Word Family of 飢
Compound Meaning
What does 饥饿 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 飢
You can say '我很飢' (wǒ hěn jī), which means 'I am very hungry.'
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