Short answer
“I'm hungry” in Korean is 배고파요
How to say I'm hungry in Korean?
To say 'How to say I'm hungry in Korean', use 배고파요 (baegopayo) in polite everyday Korean. Drop to 배고파 (baegopa) with close friends, or use 배고프다 (bae-gopeuda) as the plain form for self-talk or diary-style sentences. The polite -요 ending is the safest choice with people older than you or anyone you don't know well. You can emphasize by saying 정말 배고파요 or 진짜 배고파요 for 'I'm really hungry.'
Common pairings
배고파 죽겠어요 — I'm so hungry I could die정말 배고파요 — I'm really hungry진짜 배고파 — I'm really hungry (casual)배고플 때 — when you're hungry
How to use it
- Use 배고파요 with people you need to be polite to, like coworkers, strangers, or elders. With close friends, switch to 배고파.
- 배고프다 is the plain/dictionary form. Use it for self-talk, writing, or a plain-style sentence. In casual spoken Korean, 배고파 is usually more natural.
- For a milder 'I'm a little hungry', try 출출하다. For an exaggerated 'I'm starving', say 배고파 죽겠어요.
Examples
배고파요. 뭐 좀 먹을까요?
I'm hungry. Should we get something to eat?
Reading: baegopayo. Mwo jom meogeulkkayo? The -요 ending makes this polite and natural for most situations.
나 진짜 배고파.
I'm really hungry.
Reading: na jinjja baegopa. The casual form 배고파 is only for friends, family, or people younger than you.
아, 배고프다.
Ah, I'm hungry.
Reading: a, bae-gopeuda. 배고프다 is the plain form, so it sounds like self-talk or a diary entry rather than something you say politely.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 저는 배고 |
저는 배고파요 | 배고픈 is the modifier form meaning 'hungry', not a noun. You can't attach 이에요 to it to say 'I am hungry.' |
| 할머니, 저 배고파 | 할머니, 저 배고파요 | 배고파 is casual speech, so using it with an elder sounds rude. Adding -요 makes it polite. |
| Unnatural | Natural | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 저는 |
저는 배가 고파요 | A word-for-word translation of 'my stomach is empty' doesn't sound natural. Korean uses the adjective 배고프다, often with the subject 배. |
FAQ
- How to say I'm hungry in Korean?The most useful phrase is 배고파요 (baegopayo). With close friends you can say 배고파 (baegopa), and the plain dictionary form is 배고프다 (bae-gopeuda).
- What's the difference between 배고파요 and 배고파?배고파요 is polite and works with most people. 배고파 is casual speech, so use it only with friends, family, or people younger than you.
- How do I say 'I'm starving' in Korean?You can say 배고파 죽겠어요, which literally means 'I might die because I'm hungry.' It's a natural exaggerated way to say 'I'm starving.'
- Is 배고픕니다 commonly used?배고픕니다 is the formal version, used in very formal settings like announcements or presentations. In everyday conversation with adults, 배고파요 sounds more natural.