饥渴

飢渴

jīkě

adjective #8,366

Meanings

1 hungry and thirsty
2 eager; desperate; craving

Characters

hungry; starving

Combines hunger and thirst — used literally for physical need, or figuratively for intense craving.

Examples

走了一天的路，他又饥又渴。

Zǒu le yī tiān de lù, tā yòu jī yòu kě.

After walking all day, he was both hungry and thirsty.

人们对知识的饥渴是无穷的。

Rénmen duì zhīshi de jīkě shì wúqióng de.

People's thirst for knowledge is boundless.

饥渴的旅人终于找到了水源。

Jīkě de lǚrén zhōngyú zhǎodào le shuǐyuán.

The hungry and thirsty traveler finally found a water source.

Tips

usage

饥渴 has a figurative meaning of 'desperate craving' that is increasingly used in internet slang, sometimes with suggestive overtones. In formal writing, it retains its literal or metaphorical meaning of intense longing.

Stroke Order

饥 jī

渴 kě