sentía
“sentía” means “(I/he/she/it/you formal) was feeling” in Spanish (Ongoing emotion or state in the past).
(I/he/she/it/you formal) was feeling, (I/he/she/it/you formal) used to feel
Also: (I/he/she/it/you formal) sensed, (I/he/she/it/you formal) regretted
📝 In Action
Ella sentía mucho miedo cuando estaba sola.
A2She was feeling a lot of fear when she was alone.
Yo sentía que esa decisión era correcta, aunque era difícil.
B1I felt that this decision was correct, even though it was difficult.
Él siempre sentía curiosidad por el mundo.
B1He always used to feel curiosity about the world.
Usted no sentía el frío, ¿verdad?
B2You didn't feel the cold, did you? (Formal 'You')
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: sentía
Question 1 of 1
Which of these sentences correctly uses 'sentía' to describe a past habit?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *sentīre*, which meant 'to perceive,' 'to feel,' or 'to hear.' This root shows why *sentir* today covers both emotional feeling and physical sensing.
First recorded: Old Spanish (around the 13th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
If 'sentía' means 'I felt' and 'he felt', how do I know who the subject is?
You must use context! Spanish speakers often omit the 'Yo' (I) or 'Él/Ella' (He/She) pronouns because the conversation makes the subject clear. If the context is missing, you can add the pronoun (e.g., 'Yo sentía') for clarity.
Is 'sentía' irregular?
The conjugation for 'sentía' itself (in the Imperfect Tense) is actually regular for an '-ir' verb. However, the infinitive 'sentir' is considered irregular because its stem changes in other tenses, like the Present ('siento') and Preterite ('sintió').