How to Say "I Am Hungry" and "I Am Thirsty" in German
Learn to express hunger and thirst in German with ich habe Hunger/Durst and ich bin hungrig/durstig, ask others, and avoid accidentally ordering food.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
In German, you usually do not say "I am hungry" with a form of sein (to be) plus an adjective in everyday speech. The standard, natural way is ich habe Hunger (literally "I have hunger") and ich habe Durst ("I have thirst"). These phrases describe an internal state, not a request for a specific dish or drink. This lesson teaches both the common haben pattern and the less frequent sein pattern, shows how to ask other people, and explains why these sentences are not the same as ordering.
By the end, you can…
- say that I am hungry or thirsty in natural everyday German.
- ask another person whether they are hungry or thirsty.
- tell the difference between stating hunger or thirst and ordering food or drink.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Ich habe Hunger.
I am hungry.
ikh HAH-buh HOONG-uh
The standard everyday way to say you are hungry. Use it with friends, family, and in casual service situations.
Ich habe Durst.
I am thirsty.
ikh HAH-buh DOORST
The standard everyday way to say you are thirsty. The vowel in Durst is long, similar to English "oo" but without the glide.
Ich bin hungrig.
I am hungry.
ikh bin HOONG-rikh
Grammatically correct and used in some regions and in more formal or written German, but less common in everyday speech than ich habe Hunger.
Ich bin durstig.
I am thirsty.
ikh bin DOOR-stikh
Correct but less frequent in conversation. Many speakers prefer ich habe Durst.
Hast du Hunger?
Are you hungry?
hahst doo HOONG-uh
Informal singular question to a friend, family member, or someone you know well.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The most useful pattern is a form of haben plus the noun Hunger or Durst: ich habe Hunger, du hast Durst, er hat Hunger, wir haben Durst. The noun stays singular and does not change: Ich habe Hunger, not Ich habe Hungers. A second pattern uses sein plus the adjective: ich bin hungrig, du bist durstig. This is correct German, but in everyday conversation the haben pattern is far more common. Compare the two: Ich habe Hunger is the normal spoken choice; Ich bin hungrig sounds more formal or regional. Both describe how you feel inside, not what you want to order.
When to use it
Use ich habe Hunger or ich habe Durst when you are simply reporting your state: at home, at work, on a trip, or before deciding what to do. Use the question form to check on others: Hast du Hunger? or Haben Sie Durst? The polite Sie form is Haben Sie Hunger? Use it with strangers, older people, or in formal situations. Do not use these phrases as a direct order. If you say Ich habe Hunger in a restaurant, you are telling the people at your table how you feel, not asking the server for a specific meal. To order, you need a different sentence, such as Ich nehme die Suppe (I'll have the soup) or Ich möchte einen Kaffee (I would like a coffee).
Asking about others
To ask a friend, use Hast du Hunger? or Hast du Durst? To ask several people informally, use Habt ihr Hunger? To ask one person politely, use Haben Sie Hunger? The verb changes with the subject: ich habe, du hast, er/sie/es hat, wir haben, ihr habt, sie/Sie haben. You can also answer negatively: Ich habe keinen Hunger (I am not hungry) and Ich habe keinen Durst (I am not thirsty). Note that kein- takes the ending -en in the accusative masculine here: keinen Hunger, keinen Durst.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Ich habe Hunger. Hast du auch Hunger?
I am hungry. Are you hungry too?ikh HAH-buh HOONG-uh. hahst doo owkh HOONG-uhNein, ich habe keinen Hunger. Aber ich habe Durst.
No, I am not hungry. But I am thirsty.nine, ikh HAH-buh KY-nen HOONG-uh. AH-ber ikh HAH-buh DOORSTMöchtest du etwas trinken?
Would you like something to drink?MURKH-test doo ET-vas TRIN-kenJa, gern. Ich möchte ein Wasser.
Yes, gladly. I would like a water.yah, gairn. ikh MURKH-tuh ine VAS-serA little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, ich habe Hunger and ich habe Durst are neutral statements about your own body. They are not impolite, but they also do not automatically invite someone to serve you. In a restaurant, the server may ask Haben Sie schon gewählt? (Have you chosen yet?) rather than reacting to your statement of hunger. In Austria and parts of southern Germany, you may also hear ich bin hungrig more often than in the north, but ich habe Hunger is understood everywhere.
One thing to watch for
Saying Ich bin Hunger or Ich habe hungrig, mixing the two patterns.
Try this instead: Keep the patterns separate: use ich habe Hunger (I have hunger) or ich bin hungrig (I am hungry). Do not say Ich bin Hunger, which sounds like "I am hunger," or Ich habe hungrig, which is not grammatical. The same applies to thirst: ich habe Durst or ich bin durstig.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say "I am thirsty" in the most common everyday German?
Show a sample answer
Ich habe Durst.
This uses the haben plus noun pattern, which is the standard spoken form. Ich bin durstig is also correct but less common in conversation.
2A friend asks Hast du Hunger? How do you say no, you are not hungry?
Show a sample answer
Nein, ich habe keinen Hunger.
The negative uses kein- before Hunger. Because Hunger is masculine and the object of haben, it takes the accusative form keinen. Nein, ich bin nicht hungrig is also possible but less idiomatic.
3How would you politely ask a stranger if they are thirsty?
Show a sample answer
Haben Sie Durst?
The polite form uses Sie with the verb haben: Haben Sie Durst? For a friend you would say Hast du Durst? and for a group Habt ihr Durst?
Use ich habe Hunger and ich habe Durst for everyday statements about your own state, ask Hast du Hunger? or Haben Sie Durst? for others, and remember that these phrases describe feelings, not orders.
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