Portuguese Phrase
Tá com fome?
Meaning
Literally ‘Are you with hunger?’, this informal question asks whether someone feels hungry. It’s the everyday way Brazilians check if a person wants to eat.
When to use
Use it right before a meal, during a casual gathering, or when you want to invite someone to eat. It’s perfect among friends, family, or anyone you’re comfortable speaking informally with.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Tácomfome?
Tá (está)
‘Tá’ is the colloquial contraction of the verb ‘estar’ in the third‑person singular, used in informal spoken Portuguese.
com + fome
The preposition ‘com’ (with) is required after ‘estar’ to express a state of hunger; the noun ‘fome’ means ‘hunger’.
Question intonation
Raising the pitch at the end of the sentence signals a yes/no question, so the written question mark is enough; no extra word order change is needed.
🗨In Conversation
Tá com fome?
Are you hungry?
Sim, tô morrendo de fome! Vamos pedir uma pizza?
Yes, I’m starving! Shall we order a pizza?
✕Common Mistakes
É com fome?
‘É’ (ser) describes permanent traits; hunger is a temporary state, so use ‘estar’ (or its informal form ‘tá’).
Tá fome?
The preposition ‘com’ is required after ‘estar’ when talking about hunger.
Você tem fome?
While grammatically correct, it sounds more literal and less natural than the common ‘Tá com fome?’ in everyday conversation.
↔Alternatives
Você está com fome?
Are you hungry? (more formal)
Está com fome?
Are you hungry?
Tem fome?
Are you hungry? (colloquial, uses ‘ter’)
Quer comer?
Do you want to eat?
Cultural Tip
In Brazil, asking ‘Tá com fome?’ is a friendly way to segue into a meal or snack. It’s common to hear it at home, in the office break room, or even on the street when a vendor offers food. Keep the tone light; using the formal ‘Você está com fome?’ can sound stiff in casual settings.