How to say "famine" in Japanese

• 飢饉ききんJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounFamine as a large-scale event: a region or country gripped by severe food shortage, often through crop failure. The natural choice for famines as disasters, in historical accounts or news reports.
  これらの国くにはしばしば飢饉ききんに襲おそわれた。↗

  These countries were often visited with famine.
• 飢餓きがCommon
  nounStarvation: the condition of people starving or suffering extreme hunger. It can also denote famine, but its focus is the state of starving rather than the event.
  これらの国くにでは飢餓きがが普通ふつうのことである。↗

  In these countries hunger is the rule.

Choose 飢饉 when 'famine' means the large-scale event—a region's food crisis or crop failure—while 飢餓 centers on starvation, the condition of people starving, though it too can mean famine.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 飢饉ききんfamine
• 飢餓きがstarvation
• 凶荒きょうこうpoor crops
• 凶歉きょうけんpoor crops
• 払底ふっていshortage