Tengo hambre
/tenɡo ambɾe/from spelling rules
The English phrase "I am hungry" is translated into Spanish as Tengo hambre.
Tengo hambre is a common way to say I am hungry in Spanish. You may also use Estoy hambriento/a to express that you are hungry using the verb estar.
What does it mean word for word?
Tengo hambre is built from the verb tener (to have) and the noun hambre (hunger), literally translating to "I have hunger".
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo ambɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Soy hambre, which means "I am hunger". English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (to be) instead of tener (to have) when expressing hunger.
Did you know?
- While tengo hambre is standard, some dialects use the phrase me ruge la tripa, which means 'my belly is roaring'.
- The noun hambre is feminine, but because it starts with a stressed 'a' sound, you say el hambre in the singular to avoid a clash of vowels.
- The Spanish word hambre is a close linguistic relative of the English word 'famine'.
Examples in context
- Dile que tengo hambre.Tell her that I am hungry.This sentence is useful for practicing how to report your hunger to someone else.Tatoeba #1741648 by Shishir, translation #1741638 by Amastan
- Tengo hambre porque no almorcé.I am hungry because I did not eat lunch.This sentence explains a reason for being hungry.Tatoeba #1249699 by hayastan, translation #259470 by CK
- Tengo hambre porque no desayuné.I am hungry because I did not eat breakfast.Tatoeba #1262381 by hayastan, translation #410664 by blay_paul
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and Sofía are sitting on the sofa at home.
- AlejandroTengo hambre, ¿qué hay de comer?I am hungry, what is there to eat?
- SofíaNo sé, Alejandro, pero podemos cocinar algo.I don't know, Alejandro, but we can cook something.
- AlejandroEstá bien, hagamos una pizza.All right, let's make a pizza.
- SofíaMe parece una buena idea.That sounds like a good idea.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hambre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
