How to Write 馁 (něi) — Meaning “Discouraged / hungry / spoiled”

Imagine that when you are hungry (饣), you may feel weak and discouraged, like saying 'no way' (sounds like něi). The right part 妥 looks like a hand (爫) over a woman (女), as if you are too tired to reach for food.

Write the left radical 饣 (3 strokes:撇,横撇,竖提) first, then the right part 妥 (7 strokes: 撇,点,点,撇,横,撇,捺). The overall shape is left narrow and right wide. A common mistake is making the right part too tall; keep the 女 portion compact.

馁 (něi) means discouraged or hungry, while 飨 (xiǎng) means to feast or entertain, and 饯 (jiàn) means to give a farewell dinner. Visually, 馁 has 妥 on the right, 飨 has 乡 on the right, and 饯 has 戋 on the right.

馁 is most common in the word 气馁 (qì něi), meaning 'discouraged' or 'disheartened,' often used to encourage someone not to give up. It is less common for 'hungry' in daily speech, appearing more in literary or formal contexts.

Common words containing 馁 include: 气馁 (qì něi) — Discouraged / Disheartened; 馁了 (něi le) — Discouraged / lost heart; 馁弱 (něi ruò) — Weak and timid.