verhungern
to starve
To die from lack of food.
EXAMPLE
Ohne Hilfe von außen werden die eingeschlossenen Menschen verhungern.
Without outside help, the trapped people will starve.
verhungern
to starve
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Meanings
verhungern
to be starving
A colloquial exaggeration meaning to be extremely hungry.
EXAMPLE
Wann gibt es endlich Essen? Ich verhungere gleich!
When is there finally going to be food? I'm about to starve!
Usage tips
Inseparable prefix
The prefix 'ver-' is inseparable and here often indicates a negative or fatal end. It intensifies the base verb 'hungern' (to be hungry/to hunger) to its final consequence: dying from hunger.
EXAMPLE
Die Tiere sind im harten Winter leider verhungert.
Sadly, the animals starved during the harsh winter.
Auxiliary verb 'sein'
Since 'verhungern' (to starve) describes a change of state (death), the perfect tense is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be), not with 'haben' (to have).
EXAMPLE
Viele Menschen sind in der Dürreperiode verhungert.
Many people starved during the period of drought.
Context clue
You can recognize the colloquial meaning from the context. If someone says 'Ich verhungere' (I'm starving) in everyday life, it is an exaggeration and only means that the person is very hungry and waiting for food.
EXAMPLE
Können wir eine Pause machen? Ich verhungere bald!
Can we take a break? I'm going to starve soon!
Compare with
verhungern vs sterben
to die
Sterben refers generally to the end of life and does not specify the cause. Verhungern is more precise and means to die because of a lack of food. When the lack of food is the decisive information, verhungern is the better choice; sterben is still possible as a general statement.
verhungern
Wenn es weiterhin kein Futter bekommt, kann das eingeschlossene Tier verhungern.
If it continues to get no food, the trapped animal could starve.
sterben
Wenn es weiterhin kein Futter bekommt, kann das eingeschlossene Tier sterben.
If it continues to get no food, the trapped animal could die.
In real life
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