tengo hambre
/ˌtenɡo ˈambɾe/
The English phrase "I'm hungry" is translated into Spanish as tengo hambre.
In Spanish, you use tengo hambre to express the physical sensation of being hungry. If you want to say you are very hungry, you can say Tengo mucha hambre.
Meaning: I'm hungry (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, tengo hambre translates to "I have hunger" rather than "I am hungry."
How does it change in a sentence?
Because this phrase uses the verb tener (to have), you must conjugate it according to the subject. For example, you would use tiene hambre to say "he/she is hungry."
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌtenɡo ˈambɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb ser (to be) to say soy hambriento, but tengo hambre is the standard way to express the physical sensation of hunger.
Did you know?
- The word hambre is feminine in gender, but it is often used with the masculine article el in the phrase el hambre to avoid a sound clash.
- If you want to say you are 'starving', you might use the expression estoy muerto de hambre, which literally means 'I am dead of hunger'.
- While tengo hambre is for physical hunger, Spanish uses the word ganas to express a craving for a specific food.
Examples in context
- "Tengo hambre." "Yo también.""I'm hungry." "So am I."This is useful for showing how to respond to someone saying they are hungry.Tatoeba #13488233 by Seael, translation #10091989 by CK
- Solo como cuando tengo hambre.I eat only when I'm hungry.This shows how to describe a specific habit related to hunger.Tatoeba #2828731 by marcelostockle, translation #2325157 by CK
- ¿Cuándo comemos? ¡Tengo hambre!When are we eating? I'm hungry!This demonstrates how to express hunger when asking about a meal.Tatoeba #2963 by Shishir, translation #2073 by brauliobezerra
- ¿Vamos a almorzar? ¡Claro! Tengo mucha hambre.Person A: Shall we have lunch? Person B: Of course! I'm very hungry.
- ¿Qué quieres para cenar? Estoy hambriento/a. Prefiero algo rápido.Person A: What do you want for dinner? Person B: I'm hungry. I prefer something quick.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to do after work.
- JavierSofía, ¿quieres ir a cenar?Sofía, do you want to go eat dinner?
- SofíaSí, Javier, tengo hambre.Yes, Javier, I'm hungry.
- JavierYo también tengo hambre.I am hungry too.
- SofíaVamos al restaurante de la esquina.Let's go to the restaurant on the corner.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “I'm hungry” translations and entries tengo hambre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
