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How to say “I'm hungry” in Chinese

From snacky to starving

The mildest way to say “I'm hungry” in Chinese is 饿了 (è le), “i'm hungry”. The strongest is 我能吃一头牛 (wǒ néng chī yì tóu niú), “i could eat a whole cow”. Here are all 5, ranked mild to strong, with pinyin and when to use each one.

  1. 饿了

    è le

    i'm hungry

    The normal way

    Heard in real Chinese videos

  2. 好饿

    hǎo è

    so hungry

    Dinner is late

    Heard in real Chinese videos

  3. 饿扁了

    è biǎn le

    starving (lit. hungry flat)

    Skipped lunch

  4. 饿得发慌

    è de fā huāng

    so hungry i'm shaking

    Hands shaking, need food now

  5. 我能吃一头牛

    wǒ néng chī yì tóu niú

    i could eat a whole cow

    Say it right before hotpot

Quick answers

How do you say “I'm hungry” in Chinese?
The mildest way to say “I'm hungry” in Chinese is 饿了 (è le), “i'm hungry”. The strongest is 我能吃一头牛 (wǒ néng chī yì tóu niú), “i could eat a whole cow”. Here are all 5, ranked mild to strong, with pinyin and when to use each one.
What is the mildest way to say “I'm hungry” in Chinese?
饿了 (è le): i'm hungry. The normal way.
What is the strongest way to say “I'm hungry” in Chinese?
我能吃一头牛 (wǒ néng chī yì tóu niú): i could eat a whole cow. Say it right before hotpot.

More ways to say it in Chinese

All 47 phrases: feelings, everyday, love and dating, compliments, money, slang, insults, swear words.