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Common mistakes
Ho fame, not sono fame: when Italian says “I have” instead of “I am”
In English you are hungry, cold or 30 years old. In Italian you have hunger, cold and 30 years. Ten everyday expressions with avere.
Laura ·
One of the most common mistakes learners make is translating English word for word: I am hungry becomes sono fame. It's a very natural mistake — but Italian uses avere (to have) for many of these feelings.
Ten everyday expressions with avere
| Italian | Literally | English |
|---|---|---|
| Ho fame. | I have hunger | I'm hungry. |
| Ho sete. | I have thirst | I'm thirsty. |
| Ho caldo. | I have heat | I'm hot. |
| Ho freddo. | I have cold | I'm cold. |
| Ho sonno. | I have sleep | I'm sleepy. |
| Ho paura. | I have fear | I'm afraid. |
| Ho fretta. | I have hurry | I'm in a hurry. |
| Ho ragione. | I have reason | I'm right. |
| Ho torto. | I have wrong | I'm wrong. |
| Ho trent'anni. | I have thirty years | I'm thirty. |
Asking someone else
- Hai fame? — Are you hungry? (informal)
- Ha freddo? — Are you cold? (polite)
- Quanti anni hai? — How old are you?
And the weather?
When you talk about the weather, Italian uses fare: Fa caldo (it's hot), fa freddo (it's cold). So on a summer day you might say: Fa caldo oggi… ho proprio sete! — It's hot today… I'm really thirsty!
A small tip
Don't try to memorise all ten at once. Start with ho fame, ho sete, ho caldo, ho freddo — you'll use them every day — and add the others when you meet them.