渴

• Pinyin: kě
• Hanzi breakdown: 渴 = 氵(water) + 曷 (phonetic component) — needing water, hence thirsty

Meaning

Thirsty. Describes the feeling of wanting to drink water.

An adjective describing the physical sensation of thirst. Most commonly used with 很 (很渴 = very thirsty) or in the question 你渴吗？ Often paired with 饿 (hungry) as 又渴又饿 (both thirsty and hungry).

Examples

1. 我很渴，想喝水。 I'm very thirsty, I want to drink water.
2. 你渴不渴？ Are you thirsty?
3. 运动以后我很渴。 I'm very thirsty after exercising.

Usage Guide

Context: physical state, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 我好渴啊！(I'm so thirsty!)
• 你渴吗？要不要喝水？(Are you thirsty? Want some water?)

Don't Say

• 我是渴。(Don't use 是 with adjectives — say 我很渴 or 我渴了)

Origin & History

The character contains 氵(water radical) on the left, indicating a relationship to water, combined with a phonetic component on the right.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal