1.
to be thirsty; to get thirsty; to have a dry throat
The standard expression for feeling thirsty. Literally means 'the throat dries out.' This is the natural way to express thirst in Japanese, rather than using a single adjective.
喉が渇いた。
I'm thirsty.
The standard Japanese expression for being thirsty. Literally '喉 (throat) が (subject marker) 渇く (to dry out).' Japanese expresses thirst through this phrase rather than a single adjective. The past form 喉が渇いた is very common in conversation to say 'I'm thirsty.'
Usage
The kanji 渇く means to become parched or dry from lack of moisture. Note the difference from 乾く (to dry, to become dry), which is used for objects like laundry.
Common collocations
- 喉が渇いた: I'm thirsty (past/resultative)
- 喉がカラカラに渇く: to be extremely thirsty (throat bone-dry)
- 喉の渇きを潤す: to quench one's thirst