How to Say “I’m Hungry” in Spanish

Quick Answer

I’m hungry. = Tengo hambre.

Hold On… Doesn’t Tengo Mean I Have?

If you’re confused about why you use tengo instead of soyor estoyfor I am, you’re not alone! The irregular verb tener(to have) is one of the more difficult Spanish verbs to use correctly, as it has a variety of uses.

One of the main ways we use tener is in tener expressions with equivalents in English typically using to be seror estar. When you use the verb tener in phrases like tengo hambre, it doesn’t mean that you literally possess hunger, only that you are feeling hungry.

Different Ways to Say “I’m Hungry”

Are you feeling very hungry? Perhaps even ravenous? Then take a look at this list of expressions that more strongly express your need to eat.

Spanish	English
Estoy hambriento.	I’m hungry./I’m famished.
Estoy muerto de hambre.	I’m starving.
Quiero comer.	I want to eat.
Tengo mucha hambre.	I’m very hungry.
Tengo que comer.	I need to eat.
Tengo tanta hambre que me podría comer...	I’m so hungry I could eat…
Tengo un hambre canina.	I’m ravenous.

Let’s put some of these phrases into practice!

examples
No he comido nada en todo el día y ahora tengo un hambre canina. I haven't eaten anything all day and now I'm ravenous.
Tengo tanta hambre que me podría comer una pizza entera. I’m so hungry I could eat a whole pizza.
¿Qué hay para desayunar? ¡Estoy muerto de hambre! What’s for breakfast? I’m starving!
Tengo que comer algo. Estoy hambriento. I need to eat something. I’m famished.