haben or sein?

Two ideas where learners often pick the wrong verb:

• Age takes sein, just like English: Ich bin dreißig Jahre alt.
• Hunger and thirst take haben: Ich habe Hunger, ich habe Durst — even though English says “I am hungry” and “I am thirsty”.

Things you have take haben — Kinder, Zeit, even Hunger and Durst. A state like müde (tired) stays with sein: Wir sind müde.