Tengo hambre
/tenɡo ambɾe/from spelling rules
To say "I'm hungry" in Spanish, you say Tengo hambre.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, Tengo hambre translates to "I have hunger."
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the expression Traigo un hambre de lobo. is used to mean "I'm as hungry as a wolf."
How does it change in a sentence?
Spanish uses the verb tener (to have) to express hunger rather than the verbs for "to be." Additionally, to say you are "very" hungry, you use the adjective mucha (much/a lot of) with the noun hambre to form Tengo mucha hambre.
How do you pronounce it?
/tenɡo ambɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying Estoy hambre. While this is a literal translation of "I am hungry" in English, it is incorrect in Spanish.
Did you know?
- The word hambre is a feminine noun, but it uses the masculine article el in the singular form el hambre to avoid a clashing sound.
- While tengo hambre is standard, Spanish speakers often use dar hambre to describe the sensation of hunger arriving, as if it were an external force giving them a feeling.
- A person who is extremely hungry might be described as estar muerto de hambre, which literally translates to 'being dead from hunger'.
Examples in context
- "Tengo hambre." "Yo también.""I'm hungry." "So am I."Tatoeba #13488233 by Seael, translation #10091989 by CK
- Solo como cuando tengo hambre.I eat only when I'm hungry.Tatoeba #2828731 by marcelostockle, translation #2325157 by CK
- ¿Cuándo comemos? ¡Tengo hambre!When are we eating? I'm hungry!Tatoeba #2963 by Shishir, translation #2073 by brauliobezerra
- Sí, tengo un hambre que no veas. Vamos a comer algo.Yes, I'm extremely hungry. Let's go eat something.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are deciding what to do in the afternoon.
- MaríaTengo hambre, ¿quieres comer algo?I'm hungry, do you want to eat something?
- AlejandroSí, yo también tengo mucha hambre.Yes, I am also very hungry.
- MaríaPodemos ir a ese restaurante nuevo.We can go to that new restaurant.
- AlejandroMe parece una buena idea, María.That sounds like a good idea, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
