EkGuru › Answers › How do you say I am hungry in Hindi?
How do you say I am hungry in Hindi?
मुझे भूख लगी है (mujhe bhookh lagi hai). Literally that is "to me hunger has attached" — Hindi treats hunger as something that happens to you, not something you are. Saying main bhookha hoon is understood but sounds like a translation.
Why the grammar looks backwards
A whole family of everyday feelings works this way in Hindi: hunger, thirst, cold, fever, even liking something. The person is the recipient, not the subject.
मुझे भूख लगी है — I am hungry
मुझे प्यास लगी है — I am thirsty
मुझे ठंड लग रही है — I am cold
Once you notice the shape, all of them arrive at once.
In a restaurant
You will more often need खाना चाहिए (khaana chahiye) — food is needed. Short, polite, and it works anywhere.
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