Why Tengo hambre & Estoy cansado?

Question

Basically as RS is teaching it. Why can't you use them the other way round?

rosetta stone? - Rey_Mysterio, May 10, 2013

Yes - Shifty, May 10, 2013

Answer 1

Hola Shifty,

In Spanish, "tener" is used for several expressions. "To be hungry" is an example. Instead of using "hungry", you'd say "hunger", but saying "I am hunger" does not make sense. So you'd say "Tengo (I have) hambre (hunger)".

¡Espero que ayudara! -Alejandro

Fantastic, thank you that helps lots. - Shifty, May 9, 2013

No problem! - alexkill51, May 11, 2013

Answer 2

For a native Spanish speaker to say

I am 20 (years old) and I am hungry would seem "odd".

How can we explain it? - we can't - it just IS like that.

There are many other such anomolies in language.

Answer 3

You can say "estoy con hambre" or "estoy hambriento".

hambre is a noun (tener hambre)
hambriento/a is an adjective (estar hambriento)

Not to be confusing, but hambriento can be used as a noun, but that is yet something else.

Answer 4

The bottom line is that's how you say it in Spanish. This will the first of many things that you will just have to learn to accept for what it is and move on.

Most probably Rodney it is because that is how it is in Italian and earlier Latin. - ray76, May 10, 2013

Answer 5

Tengo sueño has the same meaning as estoy cansado.

So for you I am sleepy is the same as I am tired? (!) - chileno, May 10, 2013

No, they're different. My experience has been that everytime time I've say "estoy cansado", the next question is "¿de que?" - rodneyp, May 10, 2013

Answer 6

"Tengo hambre" means "I have hunger". In Spain, this is how they say "I'm hungry". It does make sense in English, but it's rather posh.... "Estoy cansado/a means "I'm tired".They don't say "Tengo cansancio" (I have tiredness" because it doesn't really make much s sense! Hope I helped!
-Warren.

Answer 7

Hay muchisimo "tengos" (not tangos only one true one from Argentina)

tengo hambre, sed (I'm hungry, thirsty) tengo que ir (I have to go) tengo ganas de salir (I feel like going out) tengo frio (I'm cold) tengo cuidado (I'm careful) tengo veitiséis años (I'm 26)

Answer 8

another way is:

aqui ando con (mucha) hambre