饥荒

饑荒

jīhuāng

noun #15,338

Meanings

1 famine
2 crop failure
3 debt; financial difficulty

Characters

hungry; starving

wasteland; famine; desolate

Examples

HSK 5

他欠了一大笔饥荒。

Tā qiàn le yí dà bǐ jīhuāng.

He owes a large debt.

HSK 6

那年闹饥荒，很多人背井离乡。

Nà nián nào jīhuāng, hěnduō rén bèijǐng-líxiāng.

That year there was a famine, and many people left their homes.

Tips

usage

Beyond 'famine', 饥荒 colloquially means 'debt' in northern Chinese dialects - 拉饥荒 means 'to be in debt'. This usage is informal and regional.

Stroke Order

饥 jī

荒 huāng