estar com + fome/sede/frio/sono

Estar Com Expressions

Level 1

In Portuguese, you don't 'are' hungry; you 'are with' hunger. The structure estar com + [noun] is the standard way to express temporary physical and emotional states.

How It Works

The pattern estar com + [noun] is essential for daily conversation. It functions as an idiomatic way to describe how you feel right now.

1. Common Nouns Used:

  • fome / sede (hunger / thirst): Estou com fome.
  • sono (sleepiness): Estou com sono.
  • frio / calor (cold / heat): Estou com frio.
  • pressa (hurry): Estou com pressa.
  • medo (fear): Estou com medo.
  • vontade de (feeling like/desire): Estou com vontade de sair.
  • dor (pain): Estou com dor de cabeça.

2. Regional Differences:
In Brazilian Portuguese (BP), estar com is the dominant way to express these states. However, in European Portuguese (EP), the primary and preferred choice is using ter + [noun] (e.g., Tenho fome, Tenho frio). While estar com is understood in Portugal, it sounds more like a temporary 'at this exact moment' state compared to the standard ter.

3. Casual Speech (Brazil):
In casual Brazilian Portuguese, the verb estar is often shortened: estou becomes tô, and está becomes tá. For example: Tô com fome.

4. Other Uses and Opposites:
This pattern is also used for temporary possession (Estou com a chave - I have the key on me) or illnesses (Estou com gripe - I have the flu). To express the opposite (lacking something), you can use estar sem (e.g., Estou sem dinheiro - I am without money/I don't have any money on me).

Examples (6)

  1. Eu estou com muita fome.

    I am very hungry.

    Word by Word: I am with much hunger.

    Notice that 'muita' (much/very) agrees with the feminine noun 'fome'.

  2. Você está com frio? Posso fechar a janela.

    Are you cold? I can close the window.

    Word by Word: Are you with cold? I can close the window.

    This describes a temporary physical sensation caused by the environment.

  3. As crianças estão com sono e precisam dormir.

    The children are sleepy and need to sleep.

    Word by Word: The children are with sleep and need to sleep.

    Even though 'sleepy' is an adjective in English, Portuguese uses the noun 'sono' (sleep).

  4. Tô com pressa, a gente se fala depois!

    I'm in a hurry, we'll talk later!

    Word by Word: (I) am with hurry, we each-other talk later!

    This uses the casual Brazilian contraction 'tô' for 'estou'.

  5. Ela está com medo do cachorro.

    She is afraid of the dog.

    Word by Word: She is with fear of-the dog.

    Emotional states like fear (medo) also use this 'estar com' construction.

  6. Estou com vontade de comer pizza.

    I feel like eating pizza.

    Word by Word: (I) am with will of to-eat pizza.

    The phrase 'estar com vontade de' is the standard way to say you 'feel like' doing something.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the preposition 'com'.

    Eu estou fome.
    Eu estou com fome.

    In Portuguese, you cannot 'be' a noun like hunger. You must be 'with' it.

  • Using 'com' with an adjective instead of a noun.

    Estou com cansado.
    Estou cansado.

    The 'com' pattern only works with nouns. For adjectives like 'cansado' (tired), use 'estar' directly.

  • Changing the gender of the noun to match the speaker.

    Ela está com foma.
    Ela está com fome.

    Nouns like 'fome' (feminine) or 'sono' (masculine) have fixed genders. They do not change based on who is speaking.

How It Connects

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estar com + fome/sede/frio/sonoLevel 1Estar Com Expressions

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