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 Appetit
appetite
Appetit generally refers to the desire or natural urge to eat. Heißhunger emphasizes that this desire arises suddenly and is particularly strong, often directed toward a specific food. Use Appetit for an ordinary desire to eat, and Heißhunger when the desire is suddenly very intense.
Heißhunger
Nach zwölf Stunden ohne Essen habe ich plötzlich Heißhunger auf eine Pizza.
After going twelve hours without eating, I suddenly have a strong craving for pizza.
Appetit
Am Abend habe ich Appetit auf eine Pizza.
In the evening, I feel like having pizza.
In real life
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