tengo mucha hambre
/tenɡo mut͡ʃa ambɾe/from spelling rules
To say "I am very hungry" in Spanish, use tengo mucha hambre.
This phrase is used to express a strong physical need for food.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I have much hunger" rather than "I am hungry."
How does it change in a sentence?
The word mucha is feminine because it must agree with the feminine noun hambre.
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo mutʃa ambɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
While estoy muy hambriento is grammatically possible, English speakers often mistakenly use verbs like "to be" with hunger. However, tengo hambre is the much more natural and common way to express the feeling.
When do people say it?
If you want to say "I am famished!", you can use the more intense expression ¡Tengo un hambre feroz!
Did you know?
- While tengo mucha hambre is standard, some Spanish speakers use the expression estoy muerto de hambre to mean 'I am starving', which literally translates to 'I am dead of hunger'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, saying tengo hambre is often a social cue for the group to decide on a meal together rather than just a personal statement.
- The word hambre is an unexpected cousin to the English word 'famine'. Both share the same Latin root, famēs, which describes an extreme lack of food.
Examples in context
- Tengo mucha hambre.I am very hungry.This example shows how to use tengo mucha hambre.Tatoeba #825041 by juamoran, translation #463993 by rpietri
- Perdón, pero tengo mucha hambre, ¿podemos comer algo antes de continuar?Excuse me, but I am very hungry, can we eat something before continuing?
- Vamos a salir a comer, tengo mucha hambre.Let's go out to eat, I am very hungry.
- ¿Podemos parar en el próximo restaurante? Tengo mucha hambre.Can we stop at the next restaurant? I am very hungry.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Elena are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- AlejandroElena, tengo mucha hambre.Elena, I am very hungry.
- ElenaYo también, ¿vamos a comer algo?Me too, shall we go eat something?
- AlejandroSí, busquemos un restaurante cerca.Yes, let's look for a restaurant nearby.
- ElenaPerfecto, vamos.Perfect, let's go.
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.
