How to Say ‘I am hungry’ in Portuguese
Tenho fome
TEN-yoo FOH-muh
[TEN-yoo FOH-muh]
💬 Usage Tip: Portuguese says [tenho fome] and [tenho sede] — literally "I have hunger/thirst" — not "I am hungry/thirsty." The same pattern works for both.
Phrase Breakdown
Tenho
[TEN-yoo]
I have
From the verb ter, used to express states like hunger or thirst.
Tenho fome desde manhã.
I have been hungry since morning.
fome
[FOH-muh]
hunger / hungry
Used with tenho to say you are hungry.
Tenho fome, vamos comer.
I'm hungry, let's eat.
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