Meaning

Primary

To Starve

Alternatives

To Be Starved For, To Have A Thirst For

Word Type

intransitive verb, ichidan verb

Explanation

Because the hiragana ends with an sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means starve and the verb vocab version is to starve.

This is a formal word and it's often used in phrases like 愛情に飢える (to be starved for love) or 知識に飢える (to have a thirst for knowledge).

Reading

うえる
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

When you're about to starve, what do you yearn for? Uni (), of course! As your hunger intensifies, all you can think of is uni!

Context

Context Sentences

長年日本語を独学してきたんですが、今は誰かと日本語の会話をすることに飢えています。

I’ve been self-studying Japanese for many years and now I’m starving for conversations in Japanese with someone.

Kanji Composition