We've all been there: your stomach rumbles, and all you can think about is food. In French, the most common way to express this is "J'ai faim". But what if you want to sound more natural, express a different level of hunger, or simply vary your vocabulary? Just like in English, there are many colorful and precise ways to say you're ready for a meal! Let's dive into 9 different ways to express your hunger in French, from the polite to the absolutely ravenous.

The standard 'I'm hungry' – J'ai faim

In French, to express that you are hungry, you use the common phrase J'ai faim. It's one of the first and most useful phrases you'll learn.

Unlike English's 'I am hungry,' French literally translates to 'I have hunger.' This crucial difference highlights that French uses the verb avoir (to have) for many physical sensations, not être (to be).

The phrase J'ai faim breaks down as: Je (I) + ai (the conjugated form of avoir for 'I') + faim (the noun for 'hunger'). So, J'ai means 'I have'.

The verb avoir must be conjugated according to the subject. Here are the common conjugations for 'to be hungry':

J'ai faim (I am hungry)
Tu as faim (You are hungry - informal singular)
Il/Elle/On a faim (He/She/One is hungry)
Nous avons faim (We are hungry)
Vous avez faim (You are hungry - formal singular or plural)
Ils/Elles ont faim (They are hungry)

This pattern with avoir extends to other physical needs. For instance, 'I'm thirsty' is J'ai soif (I have thirst), and 'I'm cold' is J'ai froid (I have cold).

To intensify, add très (very): J'ai très faim (I'm very hungry). To negate, use the standard French ne...pas around the conjugated verb: Je n'ai pas faim (I'm not hungry).

You can use J'ai faim in almost any situation. For politeness, especially when asking for food, you might add 's'il vous plaît' (please) or phrase it as a question: J'ai faim, on peut manger? (I'm hungry, can we eat?)

💡 * J'ai faim, on peut manger maintenant?

Tu as faim ou tu as soif?

Nous avons très faim après notre longue marche.

Non, merci, je n'ai pas faim.

Les enfants ont toujours faim après l'école!

The informal 'I'm starving' – Je crève de faim

When you're absolutely famished and need to express it emphatically in French, the phrase Je crève de faim is your go-to. It translates directly to "I'm dying of hunger" or "I'm bursting from hunger," powerfully conveying extreme hunger.

It's crucial to understand that Je crève de faim is highly informal. This expression is best reserved for casual conversations with close friends, family, or in very relaxed settings.

This phrase signifies a much stronger level of hunger than simply J'ai faim (I'm hungry) or J'ai très faim (I'm very hungry). It implies a severe, almost unbearable craving for food, a true 'starving' feeling.

You'll frequently hear French speakers use Je crève de faim in everyday scenarios, such as after a long day without eating, intense physical activity, or when dinner is significantly delayed. It's a vivid way to communicate immediate and pressing hunger.

Despite its dramatic literal translation, Je crève de faim is a common idiom and not meant to be taken literally. It's a hyperbolic expression, much like saying "I'm starving" in English, rather than an actual statement of impending death.

💡 * Je crève de faim ! On mange quand ? (I'm starving! When do we eat?)

Après la randonnée, je crevais de faim. (After the hike, I was starving.)

Si on ne mange pas bientôt, je vais crever de faim. (If we don't eat soon, I'm going to starve.)

Elle n'a pas mangé depuis ce matin, elle doit crever de faim. (She hasn't eaten since this morning, she must be starving.)

The more dramatic 'I'm dying of hunger' – Je meurs de faim

When 'I'm hungry' just doesn't capture the intensity of your craving, French offers the wonderfully dramatic expression: Je meurs de faim.

Literally, Je meurs de faim translates to 'I am dying of hunger.' It's formed from je meurs (I am dying, from the verb mourir) and de faim (of hunger).

In everyday French, this phrase is used idiomatically to mean 'I'm starving' or 'I'm ravenous.' It conveys a strong, urgent, and often exaggerated need for food.

Je meurs de faim is significantly more intense than the simple J'ai faim ('I'm hungry'). Use it when you are truly, desperately hungry and need to eat right away.

The verb mourir (to die) is an irregular -IR verb. In this phrase, meurs is the first-person singular present tense conjugation. The de is essential, meaning 'of' or 'from'.

This expression is common in informal and semi-formal settings. It's a vivid and perfectly natural way for French speakers to communicate extreme hunger.

Learning such expressions not only enriches your vocabulary but also helps you sound more natural. Don't hesitate to use Je meurs de faim when the moment calls for it!

💡 * Je meurs de faim ! On mange bientôt ? (I'm starving! Are we eating soon?)

Après le sport, je meurs toujours de faim. (After sports, I'm always starving.)

Il n'a rien mangé de la journée, il doit mourir de faim. (He hasn't eaten all day, he must be starving.)

Je meurs de faim, je pourrais manger un cheval ! (I'm starving, I could eat a horse!)

The slang 'I'm starving' (very informal) – J'ai la dalle

The phrase J'ai la dalle is a very informal French slang expression used to say 'I'm starving' or 'I'm famished'.

Literally, la dalle refers to a slab or paving stone. However, in this idiomatic expression, it colloquially means 'hunger' or 'the munchies', especially a strong one.

This phrase is highly informal and should only be used in casual settings with close friends or family. It conveys a strong, almost desperate, feeling of hunger, much more intense than simply saying J'ai faim ('I'm hungry').

Think of J'ai la dalle as the French equivalent of 'I'm starving!' or 'I could eat a horse!' It's perfect when you want to express extreme hunger with a casual, familiar tone.

💡 * J'ai la dalle, on va manger quoi? (I'm starving, what are we going to eat?)

Après le sport, j'ai toujours la dalle. (After sports, I'm always starving.)

Il est midi, j'ai trop la dalle! (It's noon, I'm super starving!)

On peut s'arrêter manger, j'ai la dalle. (Can we stop to eat, I'm starving.)

The expression 'I have a wolf's hunger' – J'ai une faim de loup

The expression 'I have a wolf's hunger' – J'ai une faim de loup

Literally translating to 'I have a wolf's hunger,' the French expression 'J'ai une faim de loup' is used to convey a feeling of extreme hunger.

This idiom signifies that you are not just hungry, but extremely hungry, as if you could eat a whole feast like a wolf.

It's a very common and vivid way to express intense hunger in everyday French conversation, suitable for informal and semi-formal settings.

A close English equivalent would be 'I'm starving' or 'I could eat a horse,' capturing the same level of famishment.

The image of a wolf, known for its voracious appetite, makes this expression particularly evocative and easy to understand for French speakers.

💡 * Après ma longue randonnée, j'ai une faim de loup ! (After my long hike, I'm starving!)

Les enfants sont rentrés de l'école et ils ont une faim de loup. (The children came home from school and they're starving.)

Préparons le dîner vite, j'ai une faim de loup ! (Let's prepare dinner quickly, I'm starving!)

Il n'a pas mangé depuis le matin, alors il doit avoir une faim de loup. (He hasn't eaten since the morning, so he must be starving.)

The informal 'My stomach is empty' – J'ai le ventre creux

The French phrase J'ai le ventre creux literally translates to "I have a hollow stomach." It's a vivid and informal way to express hunger, much like saying "My stomach is empty" or "I'm starving" in English. This expression emphasizes the physical sensation of emptiness.

This expression is commonly used in casual conversations among friends, family, or close acquaintances. It's a more expressive alternative to the standard J'ai faim (I am hungry), conveying a stronger feeling of needing to eat. You'll hear it when someone's stomach is truly rumbling or when they've gone a while without food.

While J'ai faim is a general and neutral statement of hunger, J'ai le ventre creux adds a layer of emphasis and informality. It implies a more significant hunger, often accompanied by physical sensations. It's not rude or impolite, just a more colorful and personal way to describe one's state of hunger, making it perfect for everyday, relaxed settings.

The word creux (hollow) perfectly captures the sensation of an empty stomach, making the expression highly relatable. It's a testament to how French often uses descriptive imagery in its idiomatic expressions. Using J'ai le ventre creux shows a natural fluency in informal French and a deeper understanding of everyday expressions.

💡 * J'ai le ventre creux, on mange quand ? (I'm starving, when do we eat?)

Après cette longue randonnée, j'ai vraiment le ventre creux. (After this long hike, I'm really starving.)

Il est midi et j'ai le ventre creux, je vais prendre ma pause déjeuner. (It's noon and I'm starving, I'm going to take my lunch break.)

Tu as le ventre creux ? J'ai préparé des crêpes. (Are you hungry? I made pancakes.)

The very informal 'I have the fangs' (meaning I'm very hungry) – J'ai les crocs

To express extreme hunger in a very informal way, French speakers often use the idiom J'ai les crocs.

Literally translating to "I have the fangs," this colorful expression implies such intense hunger that one feels ready to bite into anything, like an animal with its fangs. It's much stronger than simply J'ai faim (I'm hungry).

This phrase is highly colloquial and should only be used in very casual settings with close friends or family. It's a vivid way to say "I'm starving" or "I'm ravenous."

💡 * J'ai les crocs, je pourrais manger un cheval! (I'm starving, I could eat a horse!)

On mange quand? J'ai les crocs! (When are we eating? I'm ravenous!)

Après le sport, j'ai toujours les crocs. (After sports, I'm always starving.)

Viens, on va manger, j'ai les crocs depuis ce matin. (Come on, let's eat, I've been starving since this morning.)

The common 'I need to eat' – Il faut que je mange

To express the common sentiment of "I need to eat" in French, the most natural and frequently used phrase is Il faut que je mange.

This phrase utilizes the impersonal expression il faut que (it is necessary that), which always requires the subjunctive mood for the following verb. So, 'mange' here is the subjunctive form of 'manger' (to eat) for 'je'.

The beauty of Il faut que je mange lies in its ability to convey a general, often urgent, necessity rather than a strong personal desire. It translates to "It is necessary that I eat" or simply "I must eat" in a very common, everyday context.

While 'je mange' is used for 'I need to eat,' remember that the subject of the clause following 'il faut que' changes the subjunctive verb. For example, 'Il faut que nous mangions' means 'We need to eat.'

💡 * Il faut que je mange, j'ai faim! (I need to eat, I'm hungry!)

Avant de partir, il faut que tu manges quelque chose. (Before leaving, you need to eat something.)

Il est tard, il faut que nous mangions. (It's late, we need to eat.)

Je ne me sens pas bien, il faut que je mange. (I don't feel well, I need to eat.)

The slightly more formal 'I feel hungry' – Je ressens la faim

While the most common way to express hunger in French is J'ai faim (literally, 'I have hunger'), you might also encounter the phrase Je ressens la faim. This expression translates to 'I feel hunger' or 'I am feeling hunger'.

Je ressens la faim carries a slightly more formal or emphatic tone than J'ai faim. It's less conversational and more descriptive, often used when you want to specifically highlight the sensation of hunger rather than just stating a fact.

This phrase is built upon two key elements: the verb ressentir (to feel, to sense) and the noun la faim (hunger). Ressentir is a regular -IR verb, but its meaning here is crucial for understanding the nuance.

The verb ressentir is conjugated as follows in the present tense: je ressens, tu ressens, il/elle/on ressent, nous ressentons, vous ressentez, ils/elles ressentent. So, to say 'I feel hunger,' you use Je ressens la faim.

You would typically use Je ressens la faim in situations where you want to be more precise or literary, or perhaps when describing a deeper, more profound sensation of hunger. It's less common in everyday, casual conversation compared to J'ai faim, but it's important to recognize its meaning and usage.

💡 *Après une longue journée de travail, je ressens la faim. (After a long day of work, I feel hunger.)
*Elle a dit qu'elle ressentait la faim après son jeûne. (She said she felt hunger after her fast.)
*Nous ressentons la faim quand nos estomacs sont vides. (We feel hunger when our stomachs are empty.)
*Le petit enfant ressentait la faim et a commencé à pleurer. (The little child felt hunger and started to cry.)

Are there other ways to say 'I'm hungry' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'I'm hungry' in French. But just like in English, there are many other expressions, from playful slang to more nuanced phrases, that you might encounter.

To explore further, you can do an online search for 'comment dire j'ai faim en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to find local idioms.

You might discover some interesting alternatives to j'ai faim. As always, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you incorporate it into your vocabulary.

Pay close attention as you read, watch, and listen to French media — you'll likely pick up different, more colorful ways to express hunger.

And if you're looking for a comprehensive list of idioms and expressions related to hunger in French, the WordReference entry for faim is an excellent starting point!

I hope this article has satisfied your linguistic appetite! Here’s a little thought to chew on, from the French proverb: L'appétit vient en mangeant. (Appetite comes with eating, or, the more you do something, the more you want to do it.)

9 ways to say "I'm hungry" in French