A hungry stomach has no ears

Meaning: People cannot focus on anything else when their most basic needs are unmet.

Origin: Latin proverb (Venter non habet aures) attributed to Cato the Elder, 2nd century BC.

Translations

• French: Un estomac affamé n'a pas d'oreilles (literally: A hungry stomach has no ears)
• Spanish: El estómago hambriento no tiene oídos (literally: A hungry stomach has no ears)
• Japanese: 空腹には耳がない (Kūfuku ni wa mimi ga nai) (literally: An empty stomach has no ears)

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