About
The character "饥" originates from the traditional forms "飢" and "饑", which historically represented distinct but related concepts of food scarcity, with "飢" constructed from the "食" radical and the phonetic component "几" to denote personal hunger, while "饑" incorporated "幾" alongside "食" to indicate a broader, more severe famine. Over time, the semantic differentiation between these characters became less rigid, and they were often used interchangeably in classical texts, reflecting a convergence in their meanings. The modern simplified form "饥" retains the essential connection to food through the simplified radical "饣" from "食" and preserves "几" as its phonetic element, effectively unifying the notions of individual appetite and collective shortage into a single character that has maintained its core association with deprivation of nourishment throughout its evolution.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我饿了，有点饥饿。
长时间的饥饿对健康有害。
战争导致那个国家发生饥荒。
那场旱灾使许多人处于饥寒交迫之中。
饥不择食的时候，人们什么都吃。
我们必须关注全球的饥饿与贫困问题。
饥肠辘辘的他赶紧吃了一碗面。
历史上，严重的饥馑往往引发社会动荡。