<p>我是饿translates to &quot;I am indeed hungry&quot;. &quot;是&quot; here is to emphasize.
To better illustrate its similarity to using &quot;do&quot; to emphasize in English, here is another translation:</p>
<p>我饿(了)-&gt;&quot;I feel hungry&quot;;</p>
<p>我是饿(了)-&gt;&quot;I do feel hungry&quot;</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-18T12:52:26.420Z
So normally we don't say 我是饿 as I'm indeed hungry.It's not common nor follow the normal grammar , 我确实饿 means indeed hungry while 我很饿 means I'm very hungry.
Charles chen
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-18T13:25:44.360Z
It's normal to say  我是饿 as a response to others. E.g., one says "你好像一天没吃东西了，肯定饿了吧？", and then you may respond "我是饿“ or "我是饿了“。Also in general it's common to use "是" to emphasize, such as ”我是不喜欢xxx", "我是不想去“. It's probably similar to "do" in english. E.g., "我饿“translates to "I feel hungry" and "我是饿“ to "I do feel hungry"; both "是“ and "do" are usually stressed, naturally.
ALife
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-17T23:26:10.403Z
2021-10-20T00:22:47.347Z
2021-10-20T00:22:47.347Z
ALife
<blockquote>
<p>我很饿。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In an affirmative sentence the one-character adjectival predicate is usually preceded by 很, which is a weakened adverb here without much significance of an adverb of degree. The example in the book 现代汉语八百词， which says &quot;单音形容词前常加'很'，凑成双音节&quot;, is &quot;这间房子很大&quot; (see below what the book says about the same sentence without '很').</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我饿。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Without 很, comparison or contrast is often implied. 现代汉语八百词 says &quot;'这间房子大'含对比意味，暗指'另一间房子小'&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我饿了。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The final structural particle '了' indicates a change, in this case indicates &quot;I'm hungry now (I was not hungry before)&quot;.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>我是饿。</p>
</blockquote>
<p>As correctly said, 是 here is for emphasis (I would say it with an angry tone, for example).</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-19T12:41:08.457Z
Great answer!!!
dan
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-18T17:38:38.883Z
2021-10-18T17:46:34.280Z
2021-10-18T17:46:34.280Z
Joe at wearyourchinesename.com
<p>In English, 我是饿 is &quot;I am a hunger&quot;, the proper sentence is &quot;I am hungry&quot; (我饿了). Note the difference between I am + none and I am + adjective.</p>
<p>我很饿 = I am very hungry. 我饿 is acceptable, but it is usually a whining from a young kid or a beggar. 饿了 is better (sounds a little commending or complaining), again, the proper way to say is &quot;我饿了&quot;.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-20T21:28:12.807Z
Readers of this answer, please be kindly reminded that 我是饿 in no way translates to "I am a hunger". Such translation sounds absurd to a native speaker.
ALife
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-20T21:42:52.440Z
Do not use the technics of attack by distortion. It is not a "translation", literally, the sentence means 我(I)是(am)饿(hunger or hungry), obviously an illogic sentence. It is a way to remind the OP that the sentence does not make sense in English, nor in Chinese. In this case, the grammars of Chinese and English are the same - I(我)am(是)xxx(something), 饿 can't be this something then. Understand now?
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-20T21:51:31.447Z
Do not use the technics of attack by distortion. It is not a "translation", literally, the sentence means 我(I)是(am)饿(hunger), obviously an illogic sentence. It is a way to remind the OP that the sentence does not make sense in English, nor in Chinese. In this case, the grammars of Chinese and English are similar - I(我)am(是)xxx(something, a noun), 饿 can't be this something then. Understand now?
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-20T21:59:39.277Z
The following two sentences are fine: 我饿了(I am hungry) and 我很饿 (I am very hungry), note the grammars of Chinese and English differ in these cases.
r13
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-17T18:29:58.213Z
2021-10-17T18:29:58.213Z
r13
<p>“我很饿” I'm very hungry,you saying this for asking someone to provide you with food or notify the others about you conditions of being hungry.</p>
<p>“我是饿” Indeed I'm hungry, you saying this to verify your conditions of being hungry yet would refues others help. It pretty much sounds like &quot;yeah, I'm hungry but no thanks&quot;. Of course you may saying this for self introduction,means your name is hungry.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-10T15:46:36.380Z
No, 我是饿 does not have the implication "but no thanks".
ALife
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-09T04:30:41.803Z
2022-02-09T04:30:41.803Z
ALgerNon_ML
<p>Chinese usually does not need a linking verb when expressing a state,
like 水开了 instead of 水是开</p>
<p>了 means water got heated to the boiling point, instead of a past tense</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-07T10:23:50.547Z
2022-02-07T14:48:08.853Z
2022-02-07T14:48:08.853Z
AlanCui
<p>I wonder if it is grammatically correct to say 我是饿. If this sentence is grammatically correct, then what is the difference between 我很饿 and 我是饿?
As far as I know, 是 should not be used with adjective predicates. But some sources suggest that using 是 in adjective predicate sentences is OK.</p>
<p>Also, how does 我饿 sound? Does omitting 很 in adjective predicate sentences make a difference to the meaning?</p>

<grammar>
Difference between 我很饿 and 我是饿
# Difference between 我很饿 and 我是饿

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-17)

I wonder if it is grammatically correct to say 我是饿. If this sentence is grammatically correct, then what is the difference between 我很饿 and 我是饿?
As far as I know, 是 should not be used with adjective predicates. But some sources suggest that using 是 in adjective predicate sentences is OK.

Also, how does 我饿 sound? Does omitting 很 in adjective predicate sentences make a difference to the meaning?

**Tags:** grammar


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## 5 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-10-17. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

我是饿translates to "I am indeed hungry". "是" here is to emphasize.
To better illustrate its similarity to using "do" to emphasize in English, here is another translation:

我饿(了)->"I feel hungry";

我是饿(了)->"I do feel hungry"

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: So normally we don't say 我是饿 as I'm indeed hungry.It's not common nor follow the normal grammar , 我确实饿 means indeed hungry while 我很饿 means I'm very hungry.  
> **username_1**: It's normal to say  我是饿 as a response to others. E.g., one says "你好像一天没吃东西了，肯定饿了吧？", and then you may respond "我是饿“ or "我是饿了“。Also in general it's common to use "是" to emphasize, such as ”我是不喜欢xxx", "我是不想去“. It's probably similar to "do" in english. E.g., "我饿“translates to "I feel hungry" and "我是饿“ to "I do feel hungry"; both "是“ and "do" are usually stressed, naturally.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2021-10-18. Score: 3

> 我很饿。

In an affirmative sentence the one-character adjectival predicate is usually preceded by 很, which is a weakened adverb here without much significance of an adverb of degree. The example in the book 现代汉语八百词， which says "单音形容词前常加'很'，凑成双音节", is "这间房子很大" (see below what the book says about the same sentence without '很').

> 我饿。

Without 很, comparison or contrast is often implied. 现代汉语八百词 says "'这间房子大'含对比意味，暗指'另一间房子小'".

> 我饿了。

The final structural particle '了' indicates a change, in this case indicates "I'm hungry now (I was not hungry before)".

> 我是饿。

As correctly said, 是 here is for emphasis (I would say it with an angry tone, for example).

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Great answer!!!  

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### Answer by username_5 on 2021-10-17. Score: 1

In English, 我是饿 is "I am a hunger", the proper sentence is "I am hungry" (我饿了). Note the difference between I am + none and I am + adjective.

我很饿 = I am very hungry. 我饿 is acceptable, but it is usually a whining from a young kid or a beggar. 饿了 is better (sounds a little commending or complaining), again, the proper way to say is "我饿了".

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Readers of this answer, please be kindly reminded that 我是饿 in no way translates to "I am a hunger". Such translation sounds absurd to a native speaker.  
> **username_5**: Do not use the technics of attack by distortion. It is not a "translation", literally, the sentence means 我(I)是(am)饿(hunger or hungry), obviously an illogic sentence. It is a way to remind the OP that the sentence does not make sense in English, nor in Chinese. In this case, the grammars of Chinese and English are the same - I(我)am(是)xxx(something), 饿 can't be this something then. Understand now?  
> **username_5**: Do not use the technics of attack by distortion. It is not a "translation", literally, the sentence means 我(I)是(am)饿(hunger), obviously an illogic sentence. It is a way to remind the OP that the sentence does not make sense in English, nor in Chinese. In this case, the grammars of Chinese and English are similar - I(我)am(是)xxx(something, a noun), 饿 can't be this something then. Understand now?  
> **username_5**: The following two sentences are fine: 我饿了(I am hungry) and 我很饿 (I am very hungry), note the grammars of Chinese and English differ in these cases.  

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### Answer by username_6 on 2022-02-09. Score: 0

“我很饿” I'm very hungry,you saying this for asking someone to provide you with food or notify the others about you conditions of being hungry.

“我是饿” Indeed I'm hungry, you saying this to verify your conditions of being hungry yet would refues others help. It pretty much sounds like "yeah, I'm hungry but no thanks". Of course you may saying this for self introduction,means your name is hungry.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: No, 我是饿 does not have the implication "but no thanks".  

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### Answer by username_7 on 2022-02-07. Score: 0

Chinese usually does not need a linking verb when expressing a state,
like 水开了 instead of 水是开

了 means water got heated to the boiling point, instead of a past tense


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