A2 verb Neutral 3 Min. Lesezeit

お腹が空く

onaka ga suku ona̠ka̠ ɡa̠ sɨ̥kɯ̟ᵝ
Practice it

Overview

The Japanese phrase 'お腹が空く' (onaka ga suku) directly translates to 'the stomach becomes empty,' and it's the most common and natural way to express 'to get hungry' or 'to be hungry' in Japanese. Let's break down its components and usage.

  • お腹 (onaka): This literally means 'stomach' or 'belly.' The 'お' (o) at the beginning is an honorific prefix often added to nouns to show politeness or simply because it's part of the standard form of the word, much like how we might say 'tummy' to be a bit softer than 'stomach' in English, though 'onaka' is perfectly normal for adults to use.
  • が (ga): This is a subject particle. In this construction, 'お腹' is the subject of the verb '空く.' It marks 'stomach' as the thing that is performing the action of 'becoming empty.'
  • 空く (suku): This is a verb meaning 'to become empty,' 'to be vacant,' or 'to be free.' It's an intransitive verb, meaning it doesn't take a direct object. When combined with 'お腹,' it specifically refers to the state of one's stomach becoming empty.

Usage and Nuances:

**Present Tense (To get hungry/To be hungry):**

  • お腹が空きました (onaka ga sukimashita): This is the polite past tense, meaning 'I got hungry' or 'My stomach became empty.' It's often used to express that you are currently hungry, as the past tense indicates a change of state that has now occurred and persists.
  • お腹が空いています (onaka ga suite imasu): This uses the -te iru form of the verb, which indicates a continuous state or an ongoing action. While 'お腹が空きました' is very common, 'お腹が空いています' also clearly means 'I am hungry' or 'My stomach is in an empty state.' Both are widely used and understood.

**Expressing Hunger (Informal):**

  • お腹空いた (onaka suita): This is a very common, informal, and colloquial way to say 'I'm hungry.' It's a shortened version of 'お腹が空いた' (the past tense, informal). You'll hear this often among friends and family.

**Asking if someone is hungry:**

  • お腹空きましたか？ (onaka sukimashita ka?): 'Are you hungry?' (polite)
  • お腹空いた？ (onaka suita?): 'Are you hungry?' (informal)

**Emphasizing strong hunger:**

  • お腹ペコペコ (onaka peko peko): 'Peko peko' is an onomatopoeia describing the sound or feeling of an empty stomach. It's often used with 'お腹が空く' or simply by itself with 'お腹' to mean 'I'm starving' or 'My stomach is rumbling with hunger.'
  • Example: お腹ペコペコだよ！ (Onaka peko peko da yo!) - 'I'm absolutely starving!'

Common Phrases and Contexts:

  • お腹が空いたら、何か食べよう。(Onaka ga suitara, nanika tabeyou.) - 'If you get hungry, let's eat something.'
  • そろそろお腹が空いてきた。(Sorosoro onaka ga suite kita.) - 'I'm starting to get hungry.' (literally, 'My stomach has started to become empty.')
  • まだお腹が空いていません。(Mada onaka ga suite imasen.) - 'I'm not hungry yet.'

In summary, 'お腹が空く' is the fundamental phrase for expressing hunger in Japanese. Its various conjugations and accompanying particles allow for nuanced expressions of when and how one is feeling hungry, from a polite statement to a more casual exclamation of 'I'm starving!'

Beispiele

1

お腹が空いたから、何か食べたい。

Daily life

I'm hungry, so I want to eat something.

2

長時間歩いたので、お腹が空きました。

Explaining a state

I walked for a long time, so I got hungry.

3

お腹が空くのは、健康な証拠だ。

General statement/Proverbial

Getting hungry is a sign of good health.

4

彼はお腹が空くと、機嫌が悪くなる。

Describing a person's habit

He gets grumpy when he's hungry.

5

もうお昼だから、お腹が空いてきた。

Anticipating hunger

It's already lunchtime, so I'm starting to get hungry.

Häufige Kollokationen

お腹が空いて死にそう (onaka ga suite shinisō - so hungry I could die)
お腹が空いて我慢できない (onaka ga suite gaman dekinai - cannot stand the hunger)
お腹が空くと機嫌が悪くなる (onaka ga suku to kigen ga waruku naru - get grumpy when hungry)
お腹が空いて目が覚める (onaka ga suite me ga sameru - wake up hungry)

Wird oft verwechselt mit

お腹が空く vs お腹を空かす

intransitive vs. transitive

Grammatikmuster

お腹が空く (おなかがすく) お腹が空いている (おなかがすいている) お腹が空いてくる (おなかがすいてくる)

How to Use It

Nutzungshinweise

The phrase 'お腹が空く' is an intransitive verb phrase, meaning 'to become hungry' or 'to feel hungry.' The 'が' particle marks 'お腹' (onaka - stomach) as the subject that '空く' (suku - becomes empty). You can conjugate '空く' like any other verb. For example: - Present/Future: お腹が空く (onaka ga suku - I will get hungry / I get hungry) - Past: お腹が空いた (onaka ga suita - I got hungry) - Polite Present/Future: お腹が空きます (onaka ga sukimasu) - Polite Past: お腹が空きました (onaka ga sukimashita) - Te-form: お腹が空いて (onaka ga suite - being hungry, used to connect clauses) It's very common to use 'お腹が空いた' (onaka ga suita) to express that you are currently hungry, as the past tense implies a state that has been reached. You can also intensify it by adding adverbs like 'とても' (totemo - very) or 'すごく' (sugoku - extremely), e.g., 'とてもお腹が空いた' (totemo onaka ga suita - I'm very hungry).

Häufige Fehler

A common mistake for beginners is to use 'お腹が減る' (onaka ga heru) interchangeably with 'お腹が空く' (onaka ga suku). While both mean 'to get hungry,' 'お腹が空く' is more common and sounds a bit softer, whereas 'お腹が減る' can sometimes sound a bit more direct or even slightly colloquial, although it's still perfectly acceptable. Another point of confusion might be the particles; ensure you use 'が' (ga) to mark the subject ('stomach') that is becoming empty. Avoid directly translating 'I am hungry' as '私は空いています' (watashi wa suite imasu), which is grammatically incorrect for expressing hunger; instead, you would say 'お腹が空きました' (onaka ga sukimashita) or 'お腹が空いています' (onaka ga suite imasu) to express that you are currently hungry.

Tips

💡

Usage Note

'お腹が空く' (onaka ga suku) literally means 'one's stomach becomes empty.' It's the most common and natural way to say 'to get hungry' in Japanese. You would use it when you want to express that you are feeling hungry.

💡

Common Mistake

A common mistake for learners is to try to directly translate 'I am hungry' as '私は空腹です' (watashi wa kūfuku desu). While '空腹' (kūfuku) means 'hunger' or 'empty stomach,' '空腹です' sounds very formal and is rarely used in casual conversation. Stick to 'お腹が空きました' (onaka ga sukimashita - past tense, became hungry) or 'お腹が空いています' (onaka ga suite imasu - present continuous, my stomach is in a state of being empty) for more natural expression.

💡

Grammar Point

The particle 'が' (ga) in 'お腹が空く' marks 'お腹' (onaka - stomach) as the subject of the verb '空く' (suku - to become empty). This structure is common with verbs that describe a state or a change in state, where the thing that changes is marked with 'が'.

Wortherkunft

Literally means 'one's stomach becomes empty'. 'お腹' (onaka) is a polite term for 'stomach' or 'belly'. 'が' (ga) is a subject particle. '空く' (suku) means 'to become empty' or 'to become free'. The phrase succinctly describes the physical sensation of hunger as the stomach becoming empty.

Kultureller Kontext

The Japanese phrase 'お腹が空く' (onaka ga suku) literally translates to 'one's stomach becomes empty.' In Japanese culture, discussing hunger is quite common and straightforward. It's often used casually among friends, family, and colleagues. There isn't a strong cultural taboo around expressing hunger, unlike in some cultures where it might be seen as less polite. It's a fundamental human experience, and acknowledging it is natural. You might hear people say it before meals, or as a reason to suggest going out to eat. It can also be used in a more metaphorical sense, though less commonly than its literal meaning, to express a strong desire or craving for something beyond just food.

Merkhilfe

The kanji for 'stomach' (腹) is pronounced 'naka' when alone, but 'hara' in some compounds. The 'o' (お) is an honorific prefix. 'Suku' (空く) means 'to become empty.' So, literally, it's 'my stomach becomes empty.'

Häufig gestellte Fragen

4 Fragen

'お腹が空く' (Onaka ga suku) is a common Japanese phrase that directly translates to 'the stomach becomes empty.' It is used to express the feeling of 'getting hungry' or 'to feel hungry.' The phrase is often used colloquially and can be heard in everyday conversations among Japanese speakers.

'お腹が空く' (Onaka ga suku) is an ichidan verb, meaning it follows a regular conjugation pattern. The plain form is '空く' (suku). Here are some common conjugations: - **Present/Future Affirmative (Plain):** 空く (suku) - to get hungry - **Present/Future Negative (Plain):** 空かない (sukanai) - not to get hungry - **Past Affirmative (Plain):** 空いた (suita) - got hungry - **Past Negative (Plain):** 空かなかった (sukanakatta) - didn't get hungry - **Te-form:** 空いて (suite) - getting hungry (used for connecting clauses or continuous actions) - **Masu-form (Polite):** 空きます (sukimasu) - to get hungry (polite) - **Masen-form (Polite Negative):** 空きません (sukimasen) - not to get hungry (polite)

Certainly! Here are a few example sentences using 'お腹が空く': 1. **お腹が空いた。何か食べたい。** (Onaka ga suita. Nani ka tabetai.) - I got hungry. I want to eat something. 2. **もうお昼ご飯の時間だから、お腹が空くね。** (Mou ohirugohan no jikan dakara, onaka ga suku ne.) - It's already lunchtime, so I'm getting hungry, aren't I? 3. **たくさん運動したから、本当にお腹が空いた。** (Takusan undou shita kara, hontou ni onaka ga suita.) - I exercised a lot, so I'm really hungry. 4. **お腹が空いたら、コンビニで何か買おう。** (Onaka ga suitara, konbini de nani ka kaou.) - If I get hungry, I'll buy something at the convenience store.

Yes, there are a few nuances to 'お腹が空く.' While 'to get hungry' is the primary meaning, it's very natural and common. You might also hear a more direct, but less frequently used, phrase '空腹だ' (kuufuku da), which means 'to be hungry' and is often used in a more formal or written context. 'お腹が空く' emphasizes the physical sensation of the stomach becoming empty. It's a very polite and universally understood way to express hunger in Japanese culture.

Teste dich selbst

fill blank

お腹が___。

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:
fill blank

____が空きました。

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:
fill blank

ご飯を食べる前に、お腹が___。

Richtig! Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:

Ergebnis: /3

Related Content

War das hilfreich?

Kommentare (0)

Zum Kommentieren Anmelden
Noch keine Kommentare. Sei der Erste, der seine Gedanken teilt!