How to say "hunger" in Japanese

• 飢えうえCommon
  nounPhysical hunger as a condition, shading into starvation when the lack of food is serious; it is not the word for the light feeling of wanting your next meal.
  何千なんぜんという人ひとが飢うえで死しんだ。↗

  Thousands of people died of hunger.
• 空腹くうふくJLPT N1approx.Common
  na-adjective, no-adjectiveThe empty-stomach feeling that makes you want to eat; when you simply mean 'I'm hungry' before a meal, this is the word to use.
  その食事しょくじで彼かれは空腹くうふくを満みたした。↗

  The meal satisfied his hunger.
• 飢餓きがCommon
  nounStarvation and famine: severe, large-scale hunger that threatens lives; far too grave a word for the ordinary feeling of missing a meal.
  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.
• 欲よくCommon
  noun, noun (suffix)Not the empty-stomach kind: it means greed, craving, or desire, and matches 'hunger' only through the appetite sense — a strong desire, not a physical need to eat.
  彼かれは欲よくの少すくない人ひとだ。↗

  He is a man of few wants.
• 渇きかわきCommon
  nounThirst, literal or figurative: a craving or hunger for something such as love or knowledge; not the word for an empty stomach wanting food.

For an empty stomach use 空腹; 「飢え」 is hunger verging on starvation, 飢餓 is famine-scale starvation, and 欲 and 「渇き」 cover metaphorical hunger as desire or craving.

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

• 飢えうえhunger
• 空腹くうふくempty stomach
• 飢餓きがstarvation
• 欲よくgreed
• ハンガーhunger
• 満腹度まんぷくどhunger (status)
• 空き腹すきはらempty stomach
• すきっ腹すきっぱらempty stomach
• 飢餓感きがかん(feeling of) hunger
• 渇きかわきcraving