01
der Heißhunger
craving
A sudden, very strong desire to eat, often directed toward a specific food.
example
Nach dem Sport hatte ich einen Heißhunger auf etwas Salziges.
After exercising, I had a craving for something salty.
der Heißhunger
craving
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Meanings
Usage tips
Compound word
'Heißhunger' (craving) is made up of 'heiß' (hot) and 'Hunger' (hunger). The adjective 'heiß' is used here figuratively to mean 'intense' or 'burning' and strengthens the feeling of hunger.
EXAMPLE
Mitten in der Nacht wachte ich mit einem Heißhunger auf.
In the middle of the night, I woke up with a craving.
Sentence structure with a preposition
When you want to say what you have a craving for, you use the preposition 'auf' followed by the accusative. The typical construction is 'Heißhunger auf etwas haben' (to have a craving for something).
EXAMPLE
Schwangere haben oft Heißhunger auf saure Gurken.
Pregnant women often have cravings for pickles.
Typical verbs
The most common verbs used with 'Heißhunger' (craving) are 'haben' (to have), 'bekommen' (to get), or 'verspüren' (to feel). To end the feeling, you can say 'seinen Heißhunger stillen' (to satisfy one's craving).
EXAMPLE
Nach dem langen Spaziergang bekam ich plötzlich Heißhunger.
After the long walk, I suddenly got a craving.
Compare with
Heißhunger vs Lust
desire / pleasure
'die Lust' and 'der Heißhunger' can both describe a desire for something, especially food. 'Lust' is more general and often not as strong: you want to eat, drink, or do something because it sounds pleasant. 'Heißhunger' is much stronger and almost always refers to food. It often comes on suddenly and feels urgent. So you can have 'Lust auf Schokolade' (feel like chocolate) without really having 'Heißhunger' (a craving). 'Heißhunger' fits when the desire is very strong.
Heißhunger
Nach dem Sport hatte Tom plötzlich Heißhunger auf Nudeln.
After exercising, Tom suddenly had a craving for pasta.
Lust
Vor dem Termin haben wir noch Lust auf einen Kaffee.
Before the appointment, we still feel like having a coffee.
In real life
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