How to Say I’m hungry in Spanish
If you’re in a Spanish speaking country, there are a few basic necessities that you must cover. Perhaps most importantly (or maybe second only to finding a bathroom), you need to know how to go about getting food. The first step is to tell someone that you are hungry!
The most common Spanish translation for I’m hungry is Tengo hambre
Spanish is a bit unique in the way you say that you are hungry. You don’t actually say you ARE hungry, you say “Tengo hambre”, or literally “I have hunger”. It may sound strange, but it’s really common to phrase things this way in Spanish. As a matter of fact, this is actually the sentence structure used to say the following:
- I’m thirsty = Tengo sed
- I’m cold = Tengo frío
- I’m tired = Tengo sueño (literally translates to “I have dreams”)
- I’m in a hurry = Tengo prisa (literally translates to “I have a rush”)
You CANNOT say “Estoy hambre” to mean “I’m hungry” in Spanish. Although this is a common mistake, it literally means “I am hunger.” This is a very difficult Spanish concept, and it’s not unusual for a new Spanish learner who has just begun to master the Spanish verbs “estar” and “tener” to mix these up. However, “Estoy hambre” is nonsense and doesn’t really mean anything. “Estoy hambriento” is technically correct, but is much less common in real-life, conversational Spanish. It would more be used to express a level of starvation bordering on malnutrition. Think of it like the English word “hunger” used in the context of “fighting world hunger”.
15 ways to say "I'm hungry" in Spanish
| English | Spanish | Literal translation |
|---|---|---|
| I'm hungry | Tengo hambre | I have hunger |
| I'm hungry | Estoy hambriento | I am hungry (uncommon) |
| I'm really hungry | Estoy realmente hambriento | I am really hungry (uncommon) |
| I'm starving | Me muero de hambre | I die of hunger |
| I'm starving | Me estoy muriendo de hambre | I'm dying of hunger |
| I want to eat | Quiero comer | I want to eat |
| I'm ravenous | Tengo un hambre canina | I have a canine hunger |
| I could eat a cow | Tengo un hambre canina, me comería una vaca entera | I'm so ravenous, I could eat a whole cow |
| I could eat a horse | Podría comerme un caballo. | I could eat a horse. |
| I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse | Tengo tanta hambre que podría comerme un caballo. | I'm so hungry I could eat a horse. |
| I could eat a horse between two mattresses. | Me comería un caballo entre dos colchones. | I could eat a horse between two mattresses. |
| I could eat a horse and chase its rider. | Podría comerme un caballo y alcanzar a su jinete. | I could eat a horse and its rider reach. |
| I'm as hungry as a wolf | Tengo un hambre de lobo | I have a hungry wolf |
| I could eat an elephant | Tengo tanta hambre que me comería un elefante | I'm so hungry I could eat an elephant |
| I am hungry | Estoy ávido de ... | Usually used for non-food, such as "hungry for acknowledgement" |
There you have it – now you know how to say “I’m hungry” in Spanish – in a few different ways! Next up is learning how to order at a restaurant in Spanish. Enjoy!
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