Significado
To be extremely hungry.
Contexto cultural
In Czech culture, admitting you have 'hlad jako vlk' is often seen as a sign of health and vitality. It's common to say this before a large Sunday lunch at your grandmother's house. Slovak culture uses the exact same idiom ('mať hlad ako vlk'). The shared history and similar landscape make the wolf a common symbol in both languages. The wolf is a recurring character in Central European fairy tales (like those of the Brothers Grimm or Karel Jaromír Erben), where its hunger is its defining—and often dangerous—trait. Even in modern cities like Prague, the idiom is used frequently in office culture, especially when colleagues are heading out for 'meníčko' (the fixed-price daily lunch special).
The 'Mít' Rule
Always remember that in Czech, you 'have' hunger, you don't 'are' hungry. This applies to the idiom too!
Don't use with 'pes'
While English says 'hungry as a dog', Czechs only use 'vlk' for hunger. A dog (pes) is for being tired (unavený).
Significado
To be extremely hungry.
The 'Mít' Rule
Always remember that in Czech, you 'have' hunger, you don't 'are' hungry. This applies to the idiom too!
Don't use with 'pes'
While English says 'hungry as a dog', Czechs only use 'vlk' for hunger. A dog (pes) is for being tired (unavený).
Add 'úplně'
To sound even more native, add 'úplně' (completely): 'Mám úplně hlad jako vlk!'
Teste-se
Fill in the missing verb in the correct form.
Já ______ hlad jako vlk.
In Czech, we use the verb 'mít' (to have) for hunger. For the first person singular 'Já', the form is 'mám'.
Which animal is used in the Czech idiom for being very hungry?
Mám hlad jako ______.
The wolf (vlk) is the traditional animal used to describe extreme hunger in Czech.
Complete the dialogue with the most natural phrase.
A: Chceš kousek chleba? B: Jenom kousek? Ne, chci celý bochník! ______.
The context of wanting a whole loaf of bread implies extreme hunger.
Match the situation to the correct idiom.
You just finished an 8-hour shift without a lunch break.
Missing lunch for 8 hours results in extreme hunger, making this the perfect idiom.
Complete the sentence in the past tense.
Včera večer jsme ______ hlad jako vlk.
'Včera večer' indicates the past tense. For 'my' (we), the past tense of 'mít' is 'měli'.
🎉 Pontuação: /5
Recursos visuais
Banco de exercicios
5 exerciciosJá ______ hlad jako vlk.
In Czech, we use the verb 'mít' (to have) for hunger. For the first person singular 'Já', the form is 'mám'.
Mám hlad jako ______.
The wolf (vlk) is the traditional animal used to describe extreme hunger in Czech.
A: Chceš kousek chleba? B: Jenom kousek? Ne, chci celý bochník! ______.
The context of wanting a whole loaf of bread implies extreme hunger.
You just finished an 8-hour shift without a lunch break.
Missing lunch for 8 hours results in extreme hunger, making this the perfect idiom.
Včera večer jsme ______ hlad jako vlk.
'Včera večer' indicates the past tense. For 'my' (we), the past tense of 'mít' is 'měli'.
🎉 Pontuação: /5
Perguntas frequentes
10 perguntasNo, it's not rude. It's a very common, friendly, and expressive way to say you are hungry. However, avoid it in very formal situations.
Not for hunger. 'Hlad jako vlk' is a fixed idiom. You can't say 'hlad jako medvěd' (hunger like a bear) in Czech, even though Germans do!
Use the past tense of 'mít': 'Měl jsem hlad jako vlk.'
No, 'vlk' stays the same regardless of the gender of the speaker. It's the object of the comparison.
It is always 'jako vlk' (nominative case) in this comparison.
'Mám hlad' is 'I am hungry'. 'Mám hlad jako vlk' is 'I am starving/extremely hungry'.
Yes! It's very common in texts. You can even just use the wolf emoji 🐺 after 'Mám hlad'.
Yes, you can say 'Máme hlad jako vlci' (We have hunger like wolves), but 'Máme hlad jako vlk' is also frequently heard.
Wolves are historically seen as the most voracious predators in Czech forests, symbolizing an insatiable appetite.
No, in Czech we say 'pracovat jako kůň' (to work like a horse), but not 'hlad jako kůň'.
Frases relacionadas
mít vlčí hlad
similarTo have a wolfish hunger.
umírat hlady
synonymTo be dying of hunger.
mít na něco chuť
builds onTo have a taste/craving for something.
být najezený k prasknutí
contrastTo be full to the point of bursting.
