How to Say “I Am Very Hungry” in German

By •
Ich habe großen Hunger
The English phrase "I am very hungry" is expressed in German as Ich habe großen Hunger.
This phrase is used to express a strong physical need for food. You can increase the intensity of the statement by replacing großen with riesigen to say you have huge or giant hunger, which translates to "I am starving".

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, Ich habe großen Hunger translates to "I have big hunger".

Which one should you use?

Ich habe richtig Hunger is an informal way to say "I am really hungry" and Ich bin tierisch hungrig is an informal way to say "I am ravenously hungry". For a more formal tone, you can use Ich verspüre einen starken Hunger, which means "I feel a strong hunger".

Is it said differently in some regions?

In Austrian dialects of German, the phrase I bin ur hungrig is used.

How does it change in a sentence?

Because Hunger is a masculine noun, the adjective groß takes the -en ending in the accusative case used with the verb haben.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid saying Ich bin Hunger. This is a common mistake for English speakers attempting to translate "I am hungry" literally. In German, you "have" hunger rather than "being" hunger.

Did you know?

  • Using the word tierisch to describe your hunger is a common way to express intensity, but it literally translates to 'animalistic' or 'beastly'.
  • In Vienna and eastern Austria, the word ur in I bin ur hungrig acts as a prefix meaning 'extremely'. It is a hallmark of the local dialect and is not used in standard German spoken in Germany.
  • The word Hunger shares a common ancestor with the English word 'hunger', both tracing back to the Proto-Germanic root *hungruz.

Examples in context

  • Ich habe großen Hunger.
    I am very hungry.
    Tatoeba #912425 by Sudajaengi, translation #463993 by rpietri
  • Ich bin total ausgehungert.
    I am completely famished
  • Ich habe wahnsinnig großen Hunger.
    I am incredibly hungry
  • Ich bin furchtbar hungrig.
    I am terribly hungry
  • Ich habe großen Hunger nach der Arbeit.
    I am very hungry after work.
  • Oh ja, ich habe großen Hunger.
    Oh yes, I am very hungry.

Example conversation

Julia and Maximilian are walking home from school.

  1. Julia

    Ich habe großen Hunger, Maximilian.
    I am very hungry, Maximilian.
  2. Maximilian

    Ich auch, Julia. Was essen wir?
    Me too, Julia. What are we eating?
  3. Julia

    Wie wäre es mit einer Pizza?
    How about a pizza?
  4. Maximilian

    Das ist eine super Idee!
    That is a great idea!

Sources

⭐Share⭐ to appreciate human effort 🙏
Hannah Janine
Hannah JanineHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Scroll to Top