Informal French Expression
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| Meaning | to be a little hungry, feel peckish, have the munchies | |
| Literally | to have a little hollow | |
| Register | informal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[ah vwah roo(n) p(eu) tee creu] |
| IPA | [a vwa ʁœ̃ pə ti kʁø] | |
Usage notes: Instead of talking about "being hungry," the French say they have hunger: avoir faim. This grammar is maintained in the expression avoir un petit creux; literally, "to have a little hollow (in one’s stomach)." What it really means is "to be a little hungry."
Par exemple…
| Tiens, j’ai un petit creux. Allons au bistrot à côté du parc. | Hey, I’m a little hungry. Let’s go to the bistro next to the park. | |
| – Tu as faim ? – Ouais, j’ai un petit creux. |
– Hungry? – Yeah, I could eat. |
Variation: avoir un creux (dans l’estomac)
Creux is a noun in these expressions, but it can also be an adjective meaning "empty" or "hollow":
- un ventre creux – empty stomach
- un arbre creux – hollow tree
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