Meaning and Usage
The adjective '배고프다' means 'to be hungry' and is commonly used in everyday conversation to express physical hunger. It is an informal to neutral expression suitable for most social contexts.
Common Collocations
- 배고프다 + 아/어서: to explain a reason related to hunger (e.g., 배고프니까 밥 먹자 - Since I'm hungry, let's eat).
- 너무 배고프다: to emphasize strong hunger.
- 배고프면: conditional form to indicate what happens when hungry.
Usage Notes
When using '배고프다', the speaker often implies a need or desire to eat soon. It is frequently used with verbs like 먹다 (to eat) or 참다 (to endure). Avoid confusing '배고프다' with '배부르다' which means 'to be full'.
Politeness
The basic form '배고프다' is dictionary form. In polite speech, use '배고파요'. In casual speech among close friends, '배고파' is common.