Mourir de faim vs. crever de faim
This article examines the differences between the French expressions 'mourir de faim' and 'crever de faim', both of which mean 'to starve' or 'to be famished', but are used in slightly different contexts.
Mourir de faim
The phrase 'mourir de faim' directly translates to 'to die of hunger'. It is formal and used to describe a severe state of hunger, sometimes literally.
Les enfants dans certaines régions du monde meurent de faim.
(Children in some parts of the world are dying of hunger.)
Si nous ne trouvons pas de nourriture bientôt, nous allons mourir de faim.
(If we don't find food soon, we will die of hunger.)
Crever de faim
'Crever de faim' is a more informal and colloquial expression that also means 'starving'. It conveys a strong sense of being extremely hungry but is less literal than 'mourir de faim'.
J'ai pas mangé depuis ce matin, je crève de faim !
(I haven't eaten since this morning, I'm starving!)
Ils ont fini par crever de faim à cause du manque de ravitaillement.
(They eventually starved due to the lack of supplies.)
Summary
In summary, while both 'mourir de faim' and 'crever de faim' describe extreme hunger, they differ in formality and usage. 'Mourir de faim' is more formal and can be used both literally and figuratively, whereas 'crever de faim' is informal and more commonly used in everyday speech to express a strong sense of hunger.