tengo hambre
/ˌtenɡo ˈambɾe/
tengo hambre is the Spanish way to say "I'm hungry".
Use tengo hambre to express that you feel a need to eat food.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "I have hunger".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, it is common to use tengo unas ganas de comer to express that you have a desire to eat.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the verb tener (to have) in the first-person singular present indicative, rather than a form of "to be". The word hambre is a feminine noun, but it uses the masculine article el in the singular (el hambre) to avoid a phonetic clash with the "a". If you want to say you are "very" hungry, you use the feminine adjective mucha to modify the noun: tengo mucha hambre.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌtenɡo ˈambɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying estoy hambre, which would literally mean "I am hunger". Instead, always use the verb tener to express hunger.
Did you know?
- The word hambre is an unexpected relative of the word hombre (man) because both evolved from Latin sounds ending in /mn/.
- In some regions, the phrase tener un hambre de lobo is used to say one is 'as hungry as a wolf'.
- In many Spanish-speaking regions, you might hear people say they have 'un antojo' instead of expressing hunger to indicate a specific craving.
Examples in context
- Tengo hambre, ¿quieres comer algo?I'm hungry, do you want to eat something?
- No puedo estudiar porque tengo hambre.I can't study because I'm hungry.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are sitting in a cafe.
- MateoElena, tengo hambre.Elena, I'm hungry.
- ElenaYo también, pidamos una pizza.Me too, let's order a pizza.
- Mateo¡Buena idea, tengo mucha hambre!Good idea, I'm very hungry!
- ElenaYo pediré la pizza ahora.I will order the pizza now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tengo hambre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hambre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
