What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "do you have hunger?" because Spanish uses the verb tener (to have) rather than "to be" to express physical sensations like hunger.
Which one should you use?
While ¿tienes hambre? is the standard way to ask this informally, you can also use ¿Tienes ganas de comer algo? to mean "Do you feel like eating something?" In formal settings, you may use ¿Tiene hambre usted?, ¿Desea comer algo? or ¿Siente hambre?
How does it change in a sentence?
To ask "are you hungry?" using the formal "you", change the verb to tiene to match the third-person singular form used for usted.
When do people say it?
When responding to this question, you use the first-person singular form tengo (I have) instead of "I am", as in Sí, tengo hambre (Yes, I am hungry).
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking households, the question ¿tienes hambre? is frequently answered with tengo un hambre que me muero, which literally means 'I have a hunger that I am dying from'.
- The word hambre is a distant relative of the English word 'fame', despite having very different modern meanings.
- Because Spanish treats hunger as something you 'possess' rather than something you 'are', saying Soy hambre would incorrectly imply that you are the physical embodiment of hunger itself.
Examples in context
- Oye, ¿tienes hambre?Hey, are you hungry?
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are deciding what to do in the afternoon.
- ElenaDaniel, ¿tienes hambre?Daniel, are you hungry?
- DanielSí, tengo mucha hambre.Yes, I am very hungry.
- Elena¿Quieres ir a comer algo?Do you want to go eat something?
- DanielSí, vamos ahora.Yes, let's go now.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hambre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
