Everyday
How to say “I'm hungry” in Spanish
In Spanish you “have” hunger: “tengo hambre” (literally “I have hunger”). Don't say “estoy hambriento” in everyday speech, which sounds odd or very dramatic. The same pattern works for thirst, cold, heat and sleepiness.
In Spanish
Tengo hambre
I'm hungry
Say it: TEHN-goh AHM-breh
Other ways to say “I'm hungry”
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Tengo mucha hambre
I'm very hungry
Mucha agrees with hambre (feminine).
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Me muero de hambre
I'm starving
Informal exaggeration, literally “i'm dying of hunger”.
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Estoy muerto de hambre
I'm starving
Informal, dramatic.
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¿Qué hay para comer?
What's there to eat?
At home or in a group.
Example sentences
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Tengo hambre, ¿vamos a comer?
I'm hungry, shall we go and eat?
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Tengo mucha hambre después del viaje.
I'm very hungry after the journey.
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No tengo hambre ahora.
I'm not hungry now.
How to reply
Yo también.
Me too.
Good to know
- The verb is tener, not estar or ser: tengo hambre, tienes hambre, tiene hambre.
- “Hambre” is feminine but uses “el” in the singular (el hambre); with “mucho” it still agrees as “mucha hambre”.
Questions about “I'm hungry” in Spanish
How do you say “I'm hungry” in Spanish?
“I'm hungry” in Spanish is “Tengo hambre” (I'm hungry). It is pronounced TEHN-goh AHM-breh. You can also say “Tengo mucha hambre”, “Me muero de hambre”, “Estoy muerto de hambre”.
How do you pronounce “Tengo hambre”?
“Tengo hambre” sounds like TEHN-goh AHM-breh. The capital letters mark the stressed syllable. Tap the speaker on this page to hear it.
What are other ways to say “I'm hungry” in Spanish?
“Tengo mucha hambre” (I'm very hungry): mucha agrees with hambre (feminine). “Me muero de hambre” (I'm starving): informal exaggeration, literally “I'm dying of hunger”. “Estoy muerto de hambre” (I'm starving): informal, dramatic. “¿Qué hay para comer?” (What's there to eat?): at home or in a group.
How do you reply to “Tengo hambre”?
A natural reply is “Yo también.” (Me too.).
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