饿不饿？
è bú è?
Are you hungry · trad. 餓不餓？
饿不饿？ (è bú è) is a common and friendly way to ask “Are you hungry?” in Mandarin Chinese. It uses the verb-not-verb structure for a simple yes/no question.
What does 饿不饿？ (è bú è?) mean?
饿不饿？ (è bú è?) means “are you hungry” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “hungry not hungry?”
When to use it
Neutral and casual. It's often used among family and friends. A slightly more formal or general way to ask is 你饿了吗？ (nǐ è le ma?).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “uh BOO uh?” The first 饿 is a falling tone, 不 is a rising tone here, and the second 饿 is a light, neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 你饿了吗？nǐ è le ma?Are you hungry? (general)
- 我饿了。wǒ è le.I'm hungry.
- 不饿。bú è.Not hungry.
Examples
你饿不饿？我们去吃饭吧。
nǐ è bú è? wǒmen qù chīfàn ba.
Are you hungry? Let's go eat.
孩子，你饿不饿？妈妈给你做饭。
háizi, nǐ è bú è? māma gěi nǐ zuòfàn.
Child, are you hungry? Mom will cook for you.
我有点儿饿了。
wǒ yǒudiǎnr è le.
I'm a little hungry.
Pro tip: The verb-not-verb structure (like 饿不饿？) is a very common way to form yes/no questions in Chinese, often more natural than adding 吗 (ma).
Related phrases
洗手 · Wash your hands吃饭了！ · Time to eat渴不渴？ · Are you thirsty
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