restaurant How to say
How to say “I’m hungry” in Fon: Xovɛ́ and words for the stomach
In Fon, you don’t “have” hunger: it’s hunger that grabs you. A different logic from English, and a phrase to know before any stay in Benin.
schedule 5 min
signal_cellular_alt Beginner
1
The phrase
Xovɛ́: hunger as the subject
Xovɛ́ refers to being hungry. Where English says “I’m hungry”, Fon builds the sentence with hunger acting on the person — the same logic as for pain.
Xovɛ sin mi
I’m hungry
Xovɛ́to be hungry
Nùɖúɖúfood, meal
ɖùto eat
2
Drinking
Thirst and water
The verb nù covers the act of drinking, and Sìn means water — the first word you’ll hear when you arrive at someone’s home, since a drink is always offered before talking.
nùto drink
Sìnwater
Ðù ahàndrink something
The welcome water
Kwabɔ, nù sìn — “welcome, drink some water”. Refusing this glass is seen as refusing the exchange itself.
3
The opposite
Saying you’re no longer hungry
Politely refusing a dish takes a phrase, not just a “no”. The image used is a full stomach.
Xò gɔ́ mìmy stomach is full (I’m no longer hungry)
Un nɔ̀ ɖú nǔ ǎI don’t eat
4
Sitting down to eat
Ordering, serving, sharing
Once you’ve expressed your hunger, you need to name what you want: the dough, the sauce, the fish, the price. The Parlons Fongbe Academy devotes a whole chapter to everyday needs and the market — 79 video lessons, a native speaker, every form pronounced then displayed with its meaning.
Hunger that grabs you
Just one sentence to remember — Xovɛ sin mi — and a grammatical logic you’ll use again for all pain and illness.
à ≠ ǎ
One tone, and everything changes
Parlons Fongbe Academy
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In Fon, the pitch of your voice changes the meaning: à asks a question, ǎ says no. The Academy explains 818 forms, one by one, carried by a native voice — never a word without its meaning.
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Go further
- Fon vocabulary: 102 essential words — by theme, checked against the course
- The Fon video course: see the program — 79 lessons with a native speaker from Cotonou, taught in French
- What is your Fon level? — the free 15-question test