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How to Say ‘On an empty stomach’ in Simplified Chinese

空着肚子

kōng zhe dǔ zi

[koong zheh dùzi]

💬 Usage Tip: 着 (zhe) after an action describes the state you're in while doing something else. Here it's "with your stomach empty"; another example is 站着吃 "eat standing up".

Phrase Breakdown

空

kōng

[koong]

empty; fasting

In 空腹, this character helps express the idea of having an empty stomach.

Example

检查前要空腹。

Before the examination, you need to fast.

着

zhe

[zheh]

-ing; in a state of

A particle showing an ongoing state, as in 'having with' or 'wearing'.

Example

我带着孩子,能在门口停吗?

I'm with a child; can you stop at the entrance?

肚子

dǔ zi

[dùzi]

stomach; belly

The belly or abdomen.

Example

我肚子有点饿。

My stomach is a little hungry.

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