Spanish word

hambre

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈambɾe/

Meaning

  • feminine nounhunger

Example

Tengo hambre.

I am hungry.

Illustration for hambre (hunger)

More examples

Después de trabajar todo el día, tenía mucha hambre.

After working all day, I was very hungry.

Core concept

The physical sensation that prompts someone to look for food.

Common phrases

  • tener hambre

    be hungry

  • tener mucha hambre

    be very hungry

  • matar el hambre

    satisfy hunger

Similar words

apetito: Desire to eat motivated by taste, pleasure, or interest.
gana: General inclination or wish to take action; a want to do something.

Definition in Spanish

Sensación de hambre que impulsa a buscar comida; puede ser pasajera o prolongada.

Word origin

The word derives from Latin fames 'hunger', where a regular sound change turned initial f into h in Spanish to yield hambre.

Usage tips

  • Spanish normally omits an article here: say 'Tengo hambre', not 'Tengo una hambre' except when stressing intensity as in 'una hambre voraz'.

Other meanings

  • starvationnoun

Opposites

  • saciedadsatietynoun

Related words

Word lists with this word