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N5Lesson notes · Sep 30, 2026

Hungry in Japanese: お腹おなかが空あいた, ペコペコ and 腹減はらへった

"I'm hungry" in Japanese is お腹おなかが空あいた (onaka ga suita), or お腹おなかが空あきました when you want to be polite — and yes, it is a past-tense verb describing how you feel right now.

There is no plain adjective for "hungry" that you would use in daily life. Japanese says "my stomach has become empty" instead. Once that idea clicks, the past tense stops looking strange, and the same trick works for being thirsty too.

The basics

How do you say "I'm hungry" in Japanese?

お腹おなかが空あきました (onaka ga sukimashita) is the standard polite way, and お腹おなかが空あいた is the casual version. お腹おなか is the stomach, が marks it as the thing that changed, and 空あく (suku) means "to become empty."

お腹おなかが空あきました。 — I'm hungry. (polite, safe with anyone) お腹おなかが空あいた。 — I'm hungry. (casual, friends and family) お腹おなか、空あいた? — Are you hungry? (casual, rising tone)

You will often see it written in kana: お腹おなかがすいた. That is normal. 空あく has another reading (あく, "to be vacant"), so writing すく removes any doubt.

Why is "hungry" in the past tense?

Because 空あく is a change-of-state verb: the stomach became empty, and the result is still true. Japanese puts that kind of verb in the past tense when the change has already happened and you are living in the result.

Compare it with English "I've gotten hungry." Nobody thinks you were hungry yesterday. You are hungry now, because the emptying already took place. If you want the full picture of how た-forms work, our guide to the past tense with ました and た covers the mechanics.

朝あさごはんを食たべていないので、お腹おなかが空あきました。 — I haven't eaten breakfast, so I'm hungry. (polite, explaining why) 今いま、すごくお腹おなかが空あいた。 — I'm really hungry right now. (casual, "now" makes it clear it's the present)

Can you say お腹おなかが空あいています instead?

Yes. お腹おなかが空あいています is also correct, and it sounds a little more like a description of your ongoing state. The ています form is "I am in the state of being hungry."

お腹おなかが空あいています。 — I'm hungry. (polite, describing the state) お腹おなかが空あいていません。 — I'm not hungry. (polite negative)

Notice the negative. You can't easily say お腹おなかが空あかなかった for "I'm not hungry," because that would mean "I didn't get hungry." For "not hungry right now," use お腹おなかが空あいていません or the casual お腹おなか空あいてない.

How do you say "thirsty," and does the same rule apply?

Thirsty is 喉のどが渇かついた (nodo ga kawaita), and it follows exactly the same pattern. 喉のど is the throat, 渇かわく means "to become dry," and the past tense again describes the current feeling.

喉のどが渇かわきました。 — I'm thirsty. (polite) 喉のどが渇かついた。何なにか飲のもう。 — I'm thirsty. I'll get something to drink. (casual, thinking aloud)

If you learned お腹おなかが空あいた, you already know 喉のどが渇かついた. The body part, then が, then a verb that changes state. Tiredness works in a similar way too — see our list of Japanese words for tired for the other common ways to report how your body feels.

Beyond the basics

What do people actually say in casual speech?

In real conversation you hear the shortened forms: お腹おなか空あいた, and the very common お腹おなかペコペコ (very hungry). The particle が usually disappears, and ペコペコ is a sound-effect word for an empty stomach.

お腹おなか空あいたー。 — I'm hungry. (casual, with a drawn-out ending) もうお腹おなかペコペコだよ。 — I'm starving already. (casual, very hungry) お腹おなかぺこぺこで倒たおれそう。 — I'm so hungry I might collapse. (casual, exaggerating)

ペコペコ works like "starving" in English: it is expressive, a bit playful, and fine among friends. You may also see it as 腹はらペコ, which is punchier. Thirst has a matching sound-effect word, カラカラ, and thirsty in Japanese explains why it takes だ or です instead of た, as in のどがカラカラです.

What is 腹減はらへった, and who says it?

腹減はらへった (hara hetta) is rough, blunt slang for "I'm hungry," and it sounds masculine and very casual. 腹はら is a more direct word for the belly than お腹おなか, and 減へる means "to decrease." The お is gone, which is part of why it sounds so plain.

腹減はらへった。 — I'm hungry. (very casual, male-coded, friends only) あー、腹減はらへったー! — Ugh, I'm starving! (very casual, an exclamation)

Anime is full of this line, especially from energetic shonen heroes and rowdy side characters. It is a great phrase to recognize and a risky one to copy. If you say 腹減はらへった to your boss or in a restaurant, you'll sound blunt. Many women use お腹おなか空あいた instead, though people of any gender can say 腹減はらへった with close friends.

How do you say "a little hungry" or "peckish"?

小腹こばらが空あいた (kobara ga suita) means "I'm a little hungry," usually enough for a snack rather than a meal. 小しょう means small, so it is a "small stomach." The idea is that you want a bite, not dinner.

小腹こばらが空あいたから、コンビニに行いかない? — I'm a bit peckish, want to go to the convenience store? (casual, inviting someone) 小腹こばらが空あきました。何なにか軽かるいものはありますか。 — I'm a little hungry. Do you have something light? (polite)

If you want to say something tastes great once you do eat, our list of Japanese words for delicious has options beyond おいしい.

What is the opposite of お腹おなかが空あいた?

お腹おなかいっぱい (onaka ippai) means "my stomach is full." It uses the word いっぱい, "full." Here the state is described with an adjective-like phrase, not a change-of-state verb.

もうお腹おなかいっぱいです。 — I'm already full. (polite, a natural way to stop eating) お腹おなかいっぱい!食たべすぎた。 — I'm full! I ate too much. (casual)

You will also hear ごちそうさまでした after a meal, the standard "thank you for the food." We explain it and its partner phrase in itadakimasu and gochisousama.

What about 空腹くうふく?

空腹くうふく (kuufuku) means "hunger" as a noun, and it belongs to written or formal Japanese. You see it on medicine labels, in health articles, and in news reports. It is not how you would tell a friend you are hungry.

空腹時くうふくじに飲のまないでください。 — Please do not take this on an empty stomach. (formal, a medicine-label style sentence) 空腹くうふくのまま寝ねるのはよくないです。 — It isn't good to go to sleep hungry. (neutral, explanatory writing)

Can you use it for "my stomach is growling"?

Yes, with お腹おなかが鳴なる (onaka ga naru), literally "the stomach sounds." It reports the noise, not the feeling.

お腹おなかが鳴なっちゃった。 — My stomach growled. (casual, a little embarrassed)

Common mistakes

  • Saying お腹おなかが空あくです. です can't follow the dictionary form of this verb like that. Use お腹おなかが空あきました, お腹おなかが空あいています, or the casual お腹おなかが空あいた.
  • Using 空腹くうふくです in conversation. It isn't a grammar error, but it sounds like a medical form. Reach for お腹おなかが空あきました instead.
  • Thinking the past tense means "I was hungry." お腹おなかが空あいた usually means "I'm hungry now." If you want "I was hungry earlier," add a time word: 昨日きのうはお腹おなかが空あいていた。
  • Using 腹減はらへった with people you should be polite to. It is fine with close friends and in anime, but too rough for a teacher, a client, or a host.
  • Mixing up 空あく and 開ひらく. They share the sound あく in one reading. お腹おなかが空あく is the stomach emptying, while 窓まどが開ひらく is a window opening.

Hungry and thirsty expressions at a glance

Expression Politeness Who uses it
お腹おなかが空あきました Polite Anyone, in any situation
お腹おなかが空あいています Polite Anyone, describing a state
お腹おなかが空あいた / お腹おなか空あいた Casual Friends, family, all genders
お腹おなかペコペコ Casual, playful Friends, kids, adults exaggerating
腹減はらへった Very casual, rough Mostly men, close friends, anime
小腹こばらが空あいた Casual to neutral Anyone who wants a snack
お腹おなかいっぱい Neutral Anyone (opposite: full)
喉のどが渇かついた Casual (add ました to be polite) Anyone
空腹くうふく Formal, written Medical and news writing

Practice

Try each answer before opening it. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair: the same idea in two registers.

1. How do you say "I'm hungry" politely?

Show answer

お腹おなかが空あきました — the polite past form of 空あく. It describes a state that is true now.

2. Why is "I'm hungry" in the past tense in Japanese?

Show answer

Because 空あく is a change-of-state verb. The stomach has already become empty, and the result is still true, so the た-form describes the present feeling.

3. Say "I'm hungry" to a close friend.

Show answer

お腹おなか空あいた — the casual form, usually with が dropped. It pairs with question 4.

4. Say "I'm hungry" in a very rough, male-coded way, as you might hear in anime.

Show answer

腹減はらへった — blunt slang from 減へる. It is the rough counterpart to question 3, so keep it for close friends.

5. What is wrong with お腹おなかが空あくです?

Show answer

です can't be attached to the dictionary form like that. Use お腹おなかが空あきました or お腹おなかが空あいています.

6. How do you say "I'm not hungry" politely?

Show answer

お腹おなかが空あいていません — the ている negative describes a current state. お腹おなかが空あきませんでした would mean "I didn't get hungry."

7. You want a snack, not a meal. Which phrase fits?

Show answer

小腹こばらが空あいた — 小しょう (small) means only a little hungry, enough for something light.

8. How do you say "I'm thirsty"?

Show answer

喉のどが渇かついた — the same pattern as お腹おなかが空あいた: body part, が, then a change-of-state verb in the past tense.

9. What is the opposite of お腹おなかが空あいた?

Show answer

お腹おなかいっぱい — "my stomach is full." It is not a past-tense verb, because there is no change of state being reported.

10. Would you say 空腹くうふくです to a friend at lunch?

Show answer

No. 空腹くうふく is a formal, written word found on medicine labels and in news. Friends hear お腹おなか空あいた or お腹おなかペコペコ.

Tell me you are hungry three ways, お腹おなかが空あいた, 腹減はらへった and ペコペコ, in a trial lesson and watch the past tense.

FAQ

Is お腹おなかが空あいた past tense or present tense? The form is past, but the meaning is the present. It says the stomach has become empty and it stays that way. If you want to talk about being hungry earlier, add a time word such as 昨日きのう or さっき.

What is the difference between お腹おなかが空あいた and お腹おなかが空あいている? Both mean you are hungry now. 空あいた feels like "I've just noticed I'm hungry," while 空あいている describes the state you are in. In speech you hear both constantly.

Is 腹減はらへった rude? It isn't a swear word, but it is rough and casual. With close friends it's fine, and it is very common in anime. With a teacher, a customer, or your host it sounds blunt, so use お腹おなかが空あきました.

Can women say 腹減はらへった? Yes, especially among close friends, but it is generally heard as masculine. Many women prefer お腹おなか空あいた or お腹おなかペコペコ. Neither is a rule, just a tendency.

Is there a difference between お腹おなかペコペコ and お腹おなかが空あいた? ペコペコ means very hungry, and it is playful. お腹おなかが空あいた is neutral. Think "starving" versus "hungry."

Do I need the が? No. In casual speech お腹おなか空あいた is more common than お腹おなかが空あいた. In polite speech お腹おなか空あきました is also heard. Keep the が in writing and formal speech.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab — the first column becomes the front, the second the back.

お腹	おなか — stomach, belly
空く	すく — to become empty, to get hungry
腹	はら — belly (blunt)
減る	へる — to decrease, to go down
ペコペコ	ペコペコ — starving (sound-effect word)
小腹	こばら — a little hunger, a small stomach
いっぱい	いっぱい — full
喉	のど — throat
渇く	かわく — to become dry, to get thirsty
空腹	くうふく — hunger (formal)
鳴る	なる — to sound, to ring

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard learners ask about — including this one, where the past tense for "hungry" trips up nearly everyone early on. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N5 · Read something at this level: JLPT N5 stories with audio

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