The word "饥饿" is formed by combining two characters, "饥" and "饿", which both independently convey the concept of hunger, creating a reinforced and more emphatic meaning. "饥" (jī) often refers to a general state of famine or food shortage, pictorially suggesting a lack of food, while "饿" (è) typically describes the acute, personal physical sensation of starvation, originally implying a condition that bends or afflicts the self. Together, they merge the external condition of scarcity with the internal experience of need, forming a complete and intensified idea of hunger from its cause to its visceral feeling.