每天成语
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饥肠辘辘

*The explanations on this page are generated by AI. Please note that they may contain inaccurate information.

1. Basic Information

  • Pinyin: jī cháng lù lù
  • English Translation: Stomach growling with hunger (famished)
  • Idiom Composition: 「饥」（To be hungry or starving.）＋「肠」（Intestines or stomach.）＋「辘辘」（An onomatopoeia for the sound of wheels rolling, used here to mimic the rumbling sound of an empty stomach.）
  • Meaning: A state where one is so hungry that their stomach or intestines are making a rumbling sound. It literally describes the 'growling' of the stomach to emphasize extreme hunger.

2. Detailed Meaning and Nuances

「饥肠辘辘」 contains the following nuances:

  • Auditory Imagery: The term 辘辘 (lù lù) originally describes the sound of carriage wheels rolling, but here it serves as a vivid metaphor for the internal rumbling sounds of hunger.
  • Physical Sensation: This idiom specifically refers to the physical sensation of needing food rather than a metaphorical 'hunger' (such as a hunger for knowledge or power).

3. Usage

「饥肠辘辘」 is mainly used in the following contexts:

  • Daily Conversation: Frequently used when a mealtime has been missed or after intense physical activity when one feels a strong sensation of hunger.
    • Example:「忙了一整天没顾上吃饭，现在我已经饥肠辘辘了。」
      （I've been busy all day and didn't have time to eat; now I am famished.)
  • Narrative Descriptions: Used in stories or articles to describe characters suffering from food shortages or enduring hunger during long journeys.
    • Example:「难民们长途跋涉，个个面黄肌瘦，饥肠辘辘。」
      （The refugees had traveled a long distance; everyone looked haggard and thin, their stomachs growling with hunger.)

Additional Examples:

  1. 闻到厨房飘来的香味，原本就饥肠辘辘的他更受不了了。
    （Smelling the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen, he became even more unable to bear his already starving state.）
  2. 虽然大家早已饥肠辘辘，但为了完成任务，谁也没有停下来。
    （Although everyone's stomachs had been rumbling for a long time, no one stopped working in order to complete the task.）
  3. 回到家时早已饥肠辘辘，我一口气吃了两大碗饭。
    （By the time I got home, I was famished, and I ate two large bowls of rice in one go.）

4. Cultural Background and Notes

  • The expression is believed to have evolved from 枵肠辘辘 (xiāo cháng lù lù) found in the story 'The Lord of West Lake' (西湖主) within the Qing Dynasty collection Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (聊斋志异). The character 枵 (xiāo) means 'empty'.
  • Chinese linguistic culture often uses reduplicated sounds (叠音词) like 辘辘 (lù lù) to create vivid imagery. This idiom is a classic example of focusing on the 'sound' of a physical state to convey its intensity to the reader.

5. Similar and Opposite Idioms

  • Similar Idioms:
  • Opposite Idioms:
    • 酒足饭饱 (jiǔ zú fàn bǎo): To have eaten and drunk to one's heart's content; fully satisfied after a meal.
    • 丰衣足食 (fēng yī zú shí): Having ample food and clothing; living a life of abundance and material comfort.

6. Summary

饥肠辘辘 (jī cháng lù lù) describes the sound of a stomach growling due to hunger. While the English word 'hungry' is general, this idiom emphasizes being **famished** or **starving** to the point of audible rumbling. It is a common expression used in both daily conversation and literature.

Featured in the Chuken exam (Japan's Chinese test)Pre-Level 1

Idiom Essay

jī cháng lù lù
饥肠辘辘
Ravenously Hungry
yǒu有yī zhǒng一种shēng yīn声音，bù不xū yào需要bié rén别人tí xǐng提醒，nǐ你zì jǐ自己jiù就néng能mǎ shàng马上tīng dǒng听懂。

There is a sound that you can understand right away without anyone reminding you.

gū lū咕噜，gū lū咕噜。

Grrr, grrr.

zhè这bú shì不是shǒu jī手机de的tí shì yīn提示音，yě也bú shì不是wài miàn外面chuán lái传来de的shēng yīn声音，ér shì而是nǐ你de的dǔ zi肚子zài在kàng yì抗议：gāi该chī吃dōng xī东西le了。

It is not a phone notification or a sound coming from outside. It is your stomach protesting: it is time to eat.

zhōng wén中文lǐ里，yǒu有yí gè一个hěn很yǒu有huà miàn gǎn画面感de的chéng yǔ成语，zhuān mén专门xíng róng形容è饿dé得lì hài厉害de的zhuàng tài状态，jiào叫“jī cháng lù lù饥肠辘辘”。

In Chinese, there is a very vivid idiom specifically used to describe being extremely hungry: “饥肠辘辘”.

“jī cháng饥肠”，zhǐ指jī è饥饿de的cháng wèi肠胃；“lù lù辘辘”shì是yí gè一个xiàng shēng cí象声词，yuán běn原本kě yǐ可以yòng lái用来xíng róng形容chē lún车轮gǔn dòng滚动shí时fā chū发出de的shēng yīn声音。

“饥肠” refers to a hungry stomach and intestines; “辘辘” is an onomatopoeic word that originally described the sound of rolling wheels.

bǎ把zhè这jǐ gè几个zì字fàng放zài在yì qǐ一起，nǐ你dà gài大概jiù就néng能xiǎng xiàng想象chū出tā它de的gǎn jué感觉le了：dǔ zi肚子kōng kōng空空de的，lǐ miàn里面bù tíng不停dì地gū gū咕咕zuò xiǎng作响，hǎo xiàng好像yǒu有chē lún车轮zài在gǔn dòng滚动yī yàng一样。

Put these characters together, and you can probably imagine the feeling: your stomach is empty and keeps growling, as if wheels were rolling inside it.

suǒ yǐ所以，“jī cháng lù lù饥肠辘辘”bú shì不是pǔ tōng普通de的“yǒu diǎn有点è饿”。

So, “饥肠辘辘” does not mean simply being “a little hungry.”

rú guǒ如果nǐ你gāng刚chī吃wán完wǔ fàn午饭，zhǐ shì只是tū rán突然xiǎng想lái来yì diǎn一点tián diǎn甜点，nà那hái还tán bù shàng谈不上“jī cháng lù lù饥肠辘辘”。

If you have just finished lunch and suddenly feel like having some dessert, that does not really count as “饥肠辘辘”.

dàn但rú guǒ如果nǐ你máng忙le了yī zhěng tiān一整天，lián连wǔ fàn午饭dōu都méi没gù顾shàng上chī吃，wǎn shàng晚上zǒu jìn走进cān guǎn餐馆shí时yǐ jīng已经è饿dé得qián xiōng tiē hòu bèi前胸贴后背，zhè shí hòu这时候jiù就hěn很shì hé适合shuō说：“wǒ我yǐ jīng已经jī cháng lù lù饥肠辘辘le了。”

But if you have been busy all day and did not even have time for lunch, and by the time you walk into a restaurant in the evening you are starving, then it is very fitting to say: “I’m already 饥肠辘辘.”

zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语hái yǒu还有yí gè一个yǒu qù有趣de的dì fāng地方。

This idiom has another interesting aspect.

rén人zài在bù不è饿de的shí hòu时候，cháng cháng常常huì会tiāo tī挑剔：zhè ge这个tài太yóu油，nà ge那个tài太dàn淡，zhè这jiā家cān tīng餐厅hǎo xiàng好像yě也méi shén me没什么tè bié特别。

When people are not hungry, they are often picky: this is too greasy, that is too bland, and this restaurant does not seem particularly special either.

kě可yí dàn一旦jī cháng lù lù饥肠辘辘，yī wǎn一碗rè téng téng热腾腾de的miàn面、yī fèn一份gāng刚chū出guō锅de的chǎo fàn炒饭，shèn zhì甚至yí gè一个pǔ tōng普通de的bāo zi包子，dōu都kě néng可能biàn dé变得gé wài格外yòu rén诱人。

But once you are 饥肠辘辘, a steaming bowl of noodles, a serving of freshly made fried rice, or even an ordinary steamed bun can become especially tempting.

jī è饥饿yǒu shí hòu有时候jiù就xiàng像yī zhǒng一种tiān rán天然de的tiáo wèi liào调味料。

Hunger can sometimes be like a natural seasoning.

suǒ yǐ所以xià cì下次lǚ xíng旅行le了yī zhěng tiān一整天，zhōng yú终于zhǎo dào找到yī jiā一家cān guǎn餐馆；huò zhě或者jiā bān加班dào到shēn yè深夜，cái才fā xiàn发现zì jǐ自己shén me什么dōu都méi没chī吃de的shí hòu时候，nǐ你jiù就kě yǐ可以yòng用shàng上zhè ge这个chéng yǔ成语：“máng忙le了yī tiān一天，wǒ我xiàn zài现在yǐ jīng已经jī cháng lù lù饥肠辘辘le了。”

So the next time you have been traveling all day and finally find a restaurant, or have worked overtime until late at night and realize you have not eaten anything, you can use this idiom: “I’ve been busy all day, and now I’m already 饥肠辘辘.”

zhè shí hòu这时候，xiān先bié别yán jiū研究chéng yǔ成语le了。

At that point, stop studying idioms first.

qù去chī fàn吃饭ba吧。

Go eat.

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