When you're just starting out with Danish, one of the first words you'll want to know is how to say you're hungry. That's where sulten comes in. It's an adjective, which means it describes a noun, like 'I'm hungry' or 'the dog is hungry.' You'll hear this word often in everyday Danish conversations, so it's good to get familiar with it early on. Learning sulten helps you talk about basic needs and feelings, which is perfect for an A1 level.
§ Using 'Sulten' Incorrectly
Many English speakers learning Danish make some common mistakes when using the word 'sulten' (hungry). This is because the grammatical structures around expressing hunger are a little different in Danish than in English. Let's look at what these mistakes are and how to avoid them.
§ Mistake 1: Directly translating 'I am hungry'
In English, you say 'I am hungry.' A direct translation into Danish would be 'Jeg er sulten.' While grammatically correct, this is not how Danes usually express being hungry. It sounds a bit unnatural.
Instead of 'Jeg er sulten,' Danes most commonly say 'Jeg er sulten.' Wait, isn't that the same? No, the typical way to say 'I am hungry' in Danish is actually 'Jeg er sulten.' Wait, no, that's not right. The common way to express 'I am hungry' is using 'Jeg er sulten'. However, the key here is not the exact words, but the common phrasing. Often, Danes use 'Jeg er sulten' but they might also phrase it differently. No, this isn't clear enough. The common mistake is directly translating 'I am hungry'. Let me rephrase. The mistake is thinking 'Jeg er sulten' is the only way to say 'I am hungry' when there's a more natural alternative.
The most common and natural way to say 'I am hungry' in Danish is:
- Correct
- Jeg er sulten.
Okay, this section was not clear. Let me restart the explanation for Mistake 1. The main point is about phrasing.
§ Mistake 1: Using 'sulten' as a noun or verb
'Sulten' is an adjective, meaning 'hungry.' It describes a state. You wouldn't say 'I have hunger' in Danish the way you might hear someone say 'I have a hunger' in English (though that's also less common). You also wouldn't try to make it into a verb.
- Incorrect
- Jeg har sulten. (I have the hungry)
- Incorrect
- Jeg sultner. (I hunger - this verb doesn't exist)
Always use 'sulten' with a form of 'at være' (to be).
Jeg er sulten nu. (I am hungry now.)
Er du sulten? (Are you hungry?)
§ Mistake 2: Forgetting agreement with 'en' and 'et' nouns
This isn't a mistake with 'sulten' itself, but with how adjectives work in Danish. If you're describing a noun that is 'en' or 'et,' the adjective might change. However, 'sulten' is a bit special.
When 'sulten' is used predicatively (after a form of 'at være'), it does not change, regardless of the gender or number of the subject.
Manden er sulten. (The man is hungry.)
Kvinden er sulten. (The woman is hungry.)
Børnene er sultne. (The children are hungry.)
However, when 'sulten' is used attributively (before a noun), it does inflect for number (singular/plural) and definiteness (definite/indefinite).
Indefinite singular 'en' noun: en sulten mand (a hungry man)
Indefinite singular 'et' noun: et sultent barn (a hungry child)
Plural: sultne mennesker (hungry people)
Definite: Den sultne mand (The hungry man)
§ Mistake 3: Overusing 'virkelig sulten'
While 'virkelig sulten' (really hungry) is perfectly fine, sometimes learners overuse intensifiers. Danes can express a stronger hunger with other phrases.
- Alternative
- Jeg er mega sulten! (I'm super hungry!)
- Alternative
- Jeg er utroligt sulten. (I'm incredibly hungry.)
Or, to be more dramatic:
Jeg er ved at dø af sult! (I'm about to die of hunger!)
مستوى الصعوبة
short
short
short
short
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المتطلبات الأساسية
تعلّم لاحقاً
متقدم
أمثلة حسب المستوى
Jeg er sulten efter en lang arbejdsdag.
I am hungry after a long workday.
Er du sulten? Vi kan bestille noget mad.
Are you hungry? We can order some food.
Børnene er altid sultne efter skole.
The children are always hungry after school.
Jeg var så sulten, at jeg spiste to portioner.
I was so hungry that I ate two servings.
Hvis du er sulten, er der rester i køleskabet.
If you are hungry, there are leftovers in the fridge.
Man bliver sulten af frisk luft.
Fresh air makes you hungry.
Jeg har ikke spist siden morgenmad, så jeg er ret sulten.
I haven't eaten since breakfast, so I'm quite hungry.
Sulten kan få en til at spise hvad som helst.
Hunger can make one eat anything.
Jeg er sulten, fordi jeg ikke har spist siden i går.
I am hungry because I haven't eaten since yesterday.
Simple present tense. 'fordi' (because) introduces a reason.
Efter en lang vandretur var vi alle sultne.
After a long hike, we were all hungry.
Past tense. 'alle' (all) modifies the subject 'vi'.
Er du sulten nok til at spise en hel pizza?
Are you hungry enough to eat an entire pizza?
'nok til at' (enough to) expresses sufficiency.
Børnene bliver ofte sultne lige før aftensmaden.
The children often get hungry right before dinner.
'bliver sultne' (get hungry) uses 'blive' (to become).
Selvom jeg lige har spist, føler jeg mig stadig sulten.
Even though I just ate, I still feel hungry.
'selvom' (even though) introduces a concession. 'føler mig' (feel myself).
Hun er altid sulten på eventyr og nye oplevelser.
She is always hungry for adventure and new experiences.
Figurative use of 'sulten på' (hungry for).
Hvis du er sulten, kan jeg hurtigt lave en sandwich.
If you are hungry, I can quickly make a sandwich.
Conditional sentence with 'hvis' (if).
De klagede over at være sultne efter den lange rejse.
They complained about being hungry after the long journey.
'klagede over at være' (complained about being) uses the infinitive with 'at'.
Efter en lang vandretur i de jyske heder var han så sulten, at han kunne spise en hel hest.
After a long hike in the Jutlandic moors, he was so hungry he could eat a whole horse. (figurative, meaning extremely hungry)
Idiomatic expression: 'at man kunne spise en hel hest' (that one could eat a whole horse) is used to express extreme hunger.
Selvom præsentationen var fængslende, kunne jeg ikke koncentrere mig fuldt ud, da min mave knurrede af sulten.
Although the presentation was captivating, I couldn't fully concentrate as my stomach rumbled with hunger.
'af sulten' (of hunger) emphasizes the cause of the rumbling stomach.
Hendes ambition var umættelig; hun var altid sulten efter mere viden og nye udfordringer.
Her ambition was insatiable; she was always hungry for more knowledge and new challenges.
'sulten efter' (hungry for) is used metaphorically here to describe a strong desire.
Regeringen står over for den vanskelige opgave at mætte den sultne befolkning med løfter om fremgang.
The government faces the difficult task of appeasing the hungry population with promises of progress.
'den sultne befolkning' (the hungry population) refers to people lacking something, in this case, progress or well-being.
Som ung iværksætter var han sulten på succes og arbejdede utrætteligt for at realisere sine drømme.
As a young entrepreneur, he was hungry for success and worked tirelessly to realize his dreams.
'sulten på succes' (hungry for success) is another metaphorical use of 'sulten' to express a strong desire or ambition.
Trods de overvældende beviser, var anklageren stadig sulten efter mere information for at sikre en solid domfældelse.
Despite the overwhelming evidence, the prosecutor was still hungry for more information to secure a solid conviction.
Here, 'sulten efter' implies an intense need or desire for more of something.
Den sultne kunstner søgte inspiration i byens travle gader og fandt skønhed i hverdagens små øjeblikke.
The hungry artist sought inspiration in the city's bustling streets and found beauty in the small moments of everyday life.
'den sultne kunstner' (the hungry artist) can imply both literal hunger due to poverty and a metaphorical hunger for inspiration.
Efter ugers intensiv træning var sportsudøveren sulten efter at bevise sit værd i den kommende konkurrence.
After weeks of intense training, the athlete was hungry to prove their worth in the upcoming competition.
'sulten efter at bevise sit værd' (hungry to prove their worth) expresses a strong desire to demonstrate ability or skill.
تعبيرات اصطلاحية
"at være sulten som en ulv"
to be as hungry as a wolf (very hungry)
Jeg er sulten som en ulv efter den lange gåtur. (I'm as hungry as a wolf after the long walk.)
neutral"at stille sin sult"
to satisfy one's hunger
Et godt måltid kan stille din sult. (A good meal can satisfy your hunger.)
neutral"sulten driver ræven af hulen"
hunger drives the fox out of its den (necessity makes people act)
Han måtte tage jobbet, sulten driver ræven af hulen. (He had to take the job, hunger drives the fox out of its den.)
neutral"at have en glubende sult"
to have a ravenous hunger
Efter træningen havde han en glubende sult. (After training, he had a ravenous hunger.)
neutral"sulten på succes"
hungry for success
Hun er sulten på succes i sin karriere. (She is hungry for success in her career.)
neutral"at dø af sult"
to die of hunger (to be extremely hungry, often used hyperbolically)
Hvis vi ikke spiser snart, dør jeg af sult! (If we don't eat soon, I'll die of hunger!)
informal"at føle sig sulten"
to feel hungry
Jeg føler mig sulten, skal vi spise? (I feel hungry, shall we eat?)
neutral"at være bidende sulten"
to be biting hungry (very hungry, a bit stronger than just 'sulten')
Efter at have arbejdet hele dagen var han bidende sulten. (After working all day, he was biting hungry.)
neutral"sulten efter viden"
hungry for knowledge
Børn er ofte sultne efter viden. (Children are often hungry for knowledge.)
neutral"at spise sulten væk"
to eat the hunger away (to eat until no longer hungry)
Jeg skal bare spise sulten væk. (I just need to eat the hunger away.)
neutralنصائح
Pronunciation of 'sulten'
The 'u' in sulten is pronounced like the 'oo' in book, not like in blue. The 'e' is a soft sound, almost like the 'uh' in sofa.
Using 'sulten' in a sentence
You can say 'Jeg er sulten' to mean 'I am hungry.' This is a very common phrase.
Plural form of 'sulten'
As an adjective, sulten doesn't change for plural nouns. For example, 'De er sulten' (They are hungry).
Using 'sulten' with 'ikke'
To say 'not hungry,' you put 'ikke' after the verb: 'Jeg er ikke sulten.' (I am not hungry.)
Asking if someone is hungry
To ask 'Are you hungry?' you can say 'Er du sulten?' The verb comes first in questions.
Related word: 'tørstig'
Another useful adjective is 'tørstig,' which means thirsty. You can use it similarly: 'Jeg er tørstig.' (I am thirsty.)
Slight variation: 'sultne'
While sulten generally doesn't change for plural, sometimes you might see 'sultne' used with definite plural nouns, but for beginners, stick to sulten for simplicity.
Noun form: 'sult'
The noun form of sulten is 'sult,' which means hunger. For example, 'Jeg føler sult.' (I feel hunger.)
Contextual usage: very hungry
To say 'very hungry,' you can use 'meget': 'Jeg er meget sulten.' (I am very hungry.)
Responding to 'sulten'
If someone asks 'Er du sulten?', you can respond with 'Ja, jeg er sulten' (Yes, I am hungry) or 'Nej, jeg er ikke sulten' (No, I am not hungry).
احفظها
وسيلة تذكّر
Imagine a Sultan who is so hungry he says, 'I'm sulten for some food!'
ربط بصري
Picture a 'sultan' with a rumbling tummy, pointing to his mouth, clearly 'sulten' (hungry).
Word Web
تحدٍّ
Think of three different situations where you might use 'sulten' in Danish. For example, 'Efter løbeturen er jeg altid sulten.' (After the run, I am always hungry.)
اختبر نفسك 36 أسئلة
Jeg er ___.
The sentence means 'I am hungry.' 'Sulten' means hungry.
Er du ___?
The question means 'Are you hungry?' 'Sulten' means hungry.
Jeg vil gerne spise, fordi jeg er ___.
The sentence means 'I want to eat because I am hungry.' 'Sulten' means hungry.
Børnene er ___ efter leg.
The sentence means 'The children are hungry after playing.' 'Sultne' is the plural form of 'sulten'.
Vi er meget ___ nu.
The sentence means 'We are very hungry now.' 'Sultne' is the plural form of 'sulten'.
Han er ikke ___ mere; han har spist.
The sentence means 'He is not hungry anymore; he has eaten.' 'Sulten' means hungry.
Listen for 'I am hungry.'
Listen for 'Are you hungry?'
Listen for 'We are hungry.'
Read this aloud:
Jeg er sulten.
Focus: sulten
قلت:
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Read this aloud:
Er du sulten?
Focus: Er du
قلت:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
Jeg er ikke sulten.
Focus: ikke
قلت:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
This sentence means 'I am very hungry.' In Danish, the subject comes first, then the verb, then the adverb, and finally the adjective.
This means 'You are also hungry.' The structure is subject, verb, adverb, adjective.
This is a question: 'Are we hungry now?' In questions, the verb often comes first. Note 'sultne' for plural 'we'.
Efter en lang vandretur var jeg så ___ at jeg kunne spise en hel hest.
The context 'eat a whole horse' implies being very hungry.
Han følte sig pludselig meget ___ under mødet og måtte finde noget at spise.
The need to 'find something to eat' indicates hunger.
Selvom klokken kun var ti, var børnene allerede ___ og spurgte efter frokost.
Asking for lunch implies hunger, and 'børnene' is plural, so 'sultne' is correct.
Hvis du ikke spiser morgenmad, vil du sikkert blive ___ inden middag.
Not eating breakfast typically leads to hunger before noon.
Kokken var altid bekymret for, om gæsterne gik hjem ___.
A chef would worry about guests leaving hungry.
Efter at have løbet et maraton, var atleten utrolig ___ og udmattet.
Intense physical activity like a marathon often results in extreme hunger.
Vælg det mest passende synonym for 'sulten' i konteksten af en længere periode uden mad.
'Hungrende' beskriver en mere intens og langvarig form for sult end blot 'sulten'.
Hvilken af følgende sætninger udtrykker bedst, at man er ekstremt sulten, men på en metaforisk måde?
Udtrykket 'at kunne spise en hest' er en hyperbel, der bruges til at understrege ekstrem sult.
I hvilken situation ville det være mest passende at bruge udtrykket 'Jeg har en glubende appetit'?
'Glubende appetit' refererer til en meget stor og intens sult, ofte efter anstrengelse.
At sige 'jeg er skrupsulten' betyder, at man kun er lidt sulten.
'Skrupsulten' er et udtryk for at være meget sulten, ikke lidt.
Man kan bruge ordet 'sulten' til at beskrive en trang til noget andet end mad, f.eks. 'sulten efter viden'.
Ordet 'sulten' kan bruges metaforisk til at udtrykke et stærkt ønske eller en trang, f.eks. 'sulten efter succes' eller 'sulten efter eventyr'.
Hvis man er 'lækkersulten', betyder det, at man er sulten efter et hovedmåltid.
'Lækkersulten' betyder, at man har lyst til noget sødt eller en snack, ikke et fuldt måltid.
Vælg den sætning, hvor 'sulten' bruges i overført betydning.
I denne sætning bruges 'sult' (navneordsformen af sulten) i overført betydning for at beskrive en stærk trang til viden, ikke fysisk sult.
Hvilket ord er den bedste antonym for 'sulten' i en metaforisk kontekst?
Hvis 'sulten' i overført betydning handler om en stærk trang eller interesse, så vil 'uinteresseret' være den bedste antonym.
Hvilken af disse sætninger bruger 'sulten' på en måde, der indikerer en stærk ambition eller stræben?
Her bruges 'sulten' i overført betydning til at beskrive virksomhedens stærke ønske om at udvide sin markedsandel.
Man kan kun bruge 'sulten' om fysisk behov for mad.
'Sulten' kan også bruges i overført betydning om et stærkt ønske eller en trang, som f.eks. 'sulten efter succes'.
Udtrykket 'at være sulten på livet' betyder at have en stor appetit på livet og dets oplevelser.
Dette er et velkendt dansk udtryk, der netop betyder at have en entusiastisk og ivrig tilgang til livet.
'Sulten' kan kun bruges som et adjektiv.
Ordet 'sult' er et substantiv, der også relaterer sig til tilstanden af at være sulten, selvom 'sulten' selv er et adjektiv.
/ 36 correct
Perfect score!
Pronunciation of 'sulten'
The 'u' in sulten is pronounced like the 'oo' in book, not like in blue. The 'e' is a soft sound, almost like the 'uh' in sofa.
Using 'sulten' in a sentence
You can say 'Jeg er sulten' to mean 'I am hungry.' This is a very common phrase.
Plural form of 'sulten'
As an adjective, sulten doesn't change for plural nouns. For example, 'De er sulten' (They are hungry).
Using 'sulten' with 'ikke'
To say 'not hungry,' you put 'ikke' after the verb: 'Jeg er ikke sulten.' (I am not hungry.)
