饿 (è) means "hungry" with HSK 3 on the new exam.
Pronunciation
Meaning
Primary: hungry
Etymology
Oracle-bone origin
饿 is a phono-semantic compound not attested in oracle bone script. The traditional form 餓 combines the semantic 食 (food) on the left with the phonetic 我 (wǒ) on the right. The 食 component in oracle bone script depicted a covered vessel containing grain or cooked food.
Form evolution
The 食 radical evolved from a clear pictograph of a lidded food container in oracle bone and bronze scripts into the stylised three-stroke form seen in seal script, then regularised through clerical script. In simplified Chinese, 食 as a left-side radical was reduced to 饣, yielding modern 饿. The 我 phonetic on the right retained its shape more consistently through the script reforms.
How the meaning evolved
The character has meant hunger since classical times and the sense has remained stable. Classical texts like the Mencius use 餓 for severe hunger or starvation, often in contrast to 飢 (ordinary hunger), though modern Mandarin has collapsed the distinction. Today 饿 covers the full range from mild peckishness to starvation, with context doing the disambiguating work.
Cultural note
The idiom 饿虎扑食 (a starving tiger pouncing on prey) uses 饿 to convey desperate ferocity. Learners often confuse 饿 with 恶 (è, evil) because they share the 我 phonetic and similar pronunciation.
Basic info
| Pinyin | è |
| Meanings | hungry |
| New HSK exam | Recognise at HSK 3 |
| Frequency | #1090 most common |
Example sentences
我饿了。
Wǒ è le.
I'm hungry.
From 饿 (HSK 3)
Words containing 饿
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | HSK |
|---|---|---|---|
| 饿 | è | hungry | HSK 3 |
On the new HSK 3 exam
Studying for HSK 3? Keep 饿 with the rest of your level.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Reviewed by RJ Murray, Founder, HSK Lord.