mi-e foame
mi-e foame is the Romanian way to say "I am hungry".
This phrase is used to express the physical need for food.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "to me is hunger", where mi means "to me", e means "is" and foame means "hunger".
How does it change in a sentence?
This phrase uses an indirect object construction rather than an adjective. Because of this, you cannot use the verb a fi (to be) with an adjective for "hungry" in this common idiom.
Did you know?
- The Romanian word foame for 'hunger' may have been influenced by the Latin word for 'tinder' fōmes, creating a strange linguistic link between hunger and fire.
- If a Romanian speaker says mi-e foame de…, they are not just saying they want food, but can also use it metaphorically to say they 'hunger' for something abstract, like 'foame de aventură' (hunger for adventure).
- The phrase mi-e foame shares a structural logic with how Romanians express other physical sensations, such as being cold or hot.
Examples in context
- Mi-e foame acum.I am hungry now.
- Mi-e foame de mult timp.I have been hungry for a long time.
Example conversation
Stefan and Ioana are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- StefanMi-e foame, Ioana.I am hungry, Ioana.
- IoanaȘi mie mi-e foame.I am hungry too.
- StefanMâncăm ceva împreună?Shall we eat something together?
- IoanaDa, hai să mergem.Yes, let's go.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries foame, CC BY-SA 4.0.
