How do you say "I'm hungry" in Portuguese?
Say Estou com fome: hunger is something you're "with" in Portuguese, not something you are.
| Portuguese | Meaning | In CiaoSpeak |
|---|---|---|
| Estou com fome. | I'm hungry. | Unit 4 |
| Tô com fome. | I'm hungry. (everyday speech) | Not in the course |
| Estou com muita fome. | I'm really hungry. | Unit 4 |
| Você está com fome? | Are you hungry? | Unit 4 |
How do you say "I'm thirsty" in Portuguese?
Say Estou com sede, built the same way. Estou morrendo de fome is "I'm starving".
| Portuguese | Meaning | In CiaoSpeak |
|---|---|---|
| Estou com sede. | I'm thirsty. | Unit 4 |
| Estou morrendo de fome. | I'm starving. (literally "dying of hunger") | Not in the course |
When does this come up in CiaoSpeak?
In the Speak tab's office scene, your coworker asks if you've had lunch, and the model answer is Ainda não. Estou com fome!:
New job
Você já almoçou?
Have you had lunch yet?
Ainda não. Estou com fome!
Not yet. I'm hungry!
What mistakes do English speakers make with fome?
The classic mistake is Estou fome or Sou fome, a word-for-word "I am hungry".
- Estou fome / Sou fome. It's Estou com fome.
- Estou com muito fome. Fome is feminine: muita fome.
- Estou faminto is correct but dramatic, like "famished"; Estou com fome is the everyday phrase.
How can you practice saying it out loud?
Say it to someone who answers. In CiaoSpeak's Brazilian Portuguese course, the lessons teach Estou com fome with a recording in a Brazilian accent, and in the Speak tab a character in a real scene (a São Paulo baker, a Rio ride-app driver, your language-exchange partner Ana) talks to you and you answer out loud. The app tells you whether a Brazilian would understand you, with one gentle fix if not. Lessons are free; in the Speak tab, today's questions (up to five a day) are free too, and CiaoSpeak+ adds practice in any scene whenever you like. More phrases: how to say everyday things in Portuguese.