Portuguese · Food & Drink

"I'm hungry" in Portuguese: estou com fome

estou com fome

Say it: ess-TOH koom FOH-meephrase/es.ˈtou ˈkõ ˈfo.mi/

I'm hungry in Portuguese is estou com fome. It is the everyday line before lunch, after travel, or when you want a lanche.

After a museum

Estou com fomevamos almoçar?
I'm hungry—shall we have lunch?
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How to pronounce estou com fome

Say it

ess-TOH koom FOH-mee

/es.ˈtou ˈkõ ˈfo.mi/

ess-TOH koom FOH-mee

"I'm hungry" in Portuguese: quick reference

PortugueseEnglish
estou com fomeI'm hungry

Default phrase.

tô com fomeI'm hungry (casual)

Spoken Brazil.

com muita fomevery hungry

Stronger.

morrer de fometo be starving (figurative)

Dramatic casual.

How to use estou com fome in real life

  1. 1After a museum

    Estou com fomevamos almoçar?

    I'm hungry—shall we have lunch?

    Pairs with a plan.

  2. 2Late study night

    Estou com fome de verdade; pedimos pizza?

    I'm truly hungry; shall we order pizza?

    De verdade = for real.

  3. 3Kids in the car

    Parem no mercado; as crianças estão com fome.

    Stop at the market; the kids are hungry.

    Estão com fome plural.

Mistakes English speakers make with estou com fome

Incorrect: Eu sou com fome.

Correct: Estou com fome.

Use estar, not ser.

Incorrect: Eu tenho hungry.

Correct: Estou com fome.

Full Portuguese phrase.

Good to know

Brazilians treat lunch as the main meal, so estou com fome around noon is expected. A small pão de queijo can hold you until the next real plate.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing a snack street

  1. ChatPal

    Estou com fome depois do voo.

    I'm hungry after the flight.

  2. You

    Eu também estou com fome. Pastel ou açaí?

    I'm hungry too. Pastel or açaí?

  3. ChatPal

    Pastel agora; açaí depois.

    Pastel now; açaí later.

  4. You

    Combinado!

    Deal!

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"I'm hungry" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "I'm hungry" in Portuguese

Ser or estar?

Always estar com fome.

Very hungry?

Estou com muita fome.

Starving (joke)?

Estou morrendo de fome.

Hungry for something specific?

Estou com fome de… is less common; say estou com vontade de…

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