Learn Basic Feeling Adjectives in English (Pre-A1)

Raúl Maguiña

Langcom Founder | Cambridge and SIELE Examiner

July 19, 2026

PRE-A1📚 Vocabulary⏱️ 4 min read
You can tell people how you feel in English using simple adjectives like happy, sad, or tired. These words help you share your emotions and physical states clearly. For example, if you need food, you can say I am hungry. If you want water, you say I am thirsty. If you feel too warm, you say I am hot. If you feel too cool, you say I am cold. Learning these basic adjectives is important for everyday conversations. They are easy to use: just put I am before the adjective. This helps others understand you quickly and makes communication simple. You can also use them for other people, like She is happy. or He is tired. Mastering these words is a great first step in expressing yourself in English.

What Are Feeling Adjectives?

Feeling adjectives are words that describe how a person feels. They tell us about emotions or physical states. These words help you share information about yourself with others.

In English, we use many adjectives to talk about feelings. Today, we will learn some very common ones:

  • hungry
  • thirsty
  • hot
  • cold
  • happy
  • sad
  • bored
  • tired

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How to Use Feeling Adjectives

It is easy to use feeling adjectives in English. You just need the verb to be (am, is, are) and the adjective.

For yourself, you say I am + adjective.

  • If you need food, say: I am hungry.
  • If you need water, say: I am thirsty.
  • If you feel warm, say: I am hot.
  • If you feel cool, say: I am cold.
  • If you feel good, say: I am happy.
  • If you feel not good, say: I am sad.
  • If you have nothing to do, say: I am bored.
  • If you want to sleep, say: I am tired.

Talking About Others’ Feelings

You can also use these adjectives to talk about how other people feel. Just change the form of the verb to be.

  • For a man or boy, use He is: He is happy.
  • For a woman or girl, use She is: She is tired.
  • For more than one person, use They are: They are hungry.
Common Feeling Adjectives
Adjective What it means
hungry You want food.
thirsty You want water.
hot You feel warm.
cold You feel not warm.
happy You feel good.
sad You feel not good.
bored You have nothing to do.
tired You want to sleep.

Examples

  • I am hungry. I want to eat.
  • She is thirsty. She needs water.
  • He is hot. He wants to open the window.
  • We are cold. We need our jackets.
  • They are happy. They like the music.
  • The boy is sad. He lost his toy.
  • I am bored. I want to play a game.
  • You are tired. Go to sleep!

Practice

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Common mistakes for Spanish speakers

Many Spanish speakers use the verb “tener” (to have) for some feelings. But in English, we use the verb to be (am, is, are) for all these feeling adjectives.

  • Incorrect: I have hungry.
  • Correct: I am hungry.
  • Incorrect: She has cold.
  • Correct: She is cold.
  • Incorrect: He has tired.
  • Correct: He is tired.

Always remember to use I am, He is, She is, We are, or They are with feeling adjectives.

Frequently asked questions

What is an adjective?

An adjective is a word that describes a noun. For example, in I am happy, happy describes I.

How do I say ‘I have thirst’ in English?

In English, you say I am thirsty. We use to be, not to have, for this feeling.

Can I use these adjectives for animals or things?

You can use hungry or thirsty for animals. For things, it is usually not correct. For example, a dog can be hungry, but a table cannot be sad.

About the Author: Raúl Maguiña

Raúl Maguiña is the Director of Asociación Educativa Langcom, an Authorized Cambridge English Preparation Centre in USA. With over a decade of experience in language education and international certification, he has helped thousands of students, teachers and educational institutions across 25 countries achieve Cambridge, IELTS, TOEFL, and Michigan English certifications.

Learn more about Langcom →

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