sentir
/sen-TEER/
to feel
Visualizing sentir (to feel) a physical sensation, such as cold or pain.
sentir(Verb)
to feel
?emotions, physical sensations
to experience
?a sensation
📝 In Action
Siento frío. ¿Puedes cerrar la ventana?
A1I feel cold. Can you close the window?
Hoy me siento muy feliz.
A2I feel very happy today.
Ella sintió un dolor fuerte en la espalda.
B1She felt a sharp pain in her back.
💡 Grammar Points
Sentir vs. Sentirse
Use 'sentir' for physical things you feel (like cold, pain). Use 'sentirse' to talk about your own emotional or physical state ('me siento feliz', 'I feel happy'). Think of it as 'sentir' for things outside you, 'sentirse' for feelings inside you.
Stem-Changing Verb
Notice the 'e' in 'sentir' changes to 'ie' (siento) or 'i' (sintió) in some forms. This happens a lot with verbs like this, but 'nosotros' (we) and 'vosotros' (you all, Spain) usually keep the original 'e'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Feeling an Emotion
Mistake: "Yo siento triste."
Correction: Yo me siento triste. When describing your own emotional state, you need to use the reflexive form 'sentirse'.
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Physical Needs
In Spanish, you 'feel' hunger and thirst rather than 'being' hungry or thirsty. So, always say 'siento hambre' or 'siento sed', not 'estoy hambre'.
Visualizing sentir (to be sorry or regret), commonly used in the phrase Lo siento (I'm sorry).
sentir(Verb)
to regret
?an action or situation
to be sorry for
?apologizing
📝 In Action
Lo siento, no puedo ir a tu fiesta.
A1I'm sorry, I can't go to your party.
Siento mucho lo que pasó.
A2I'm very sorry about what happened.
Siento haberte preocupado.
B1I'm sorry to have worried you.
Siento que no hayas podido conseguir el trabajo.
B2I'm sorry that you weren't able to get the job.
💡 Grammar Points
Saying Sorry for Something
When you say you're sorry that something happened, you often use 'sentir que' followed by a special verb form (the subjunctive). For example: 'Siento que estés enfermo' (I'm sorry that you are sick).
⭐ Usage Tips
'Lo Siento' vs. 'Perdón'
'Lo siento' is for expressing sympathy or regret ('I'm sorry for your loss'). 'Perdón' is more for getting attention or apologizing for a small mistake, like bumping into someone ('Excuse me' or 'Pardon me').
Visualizing sentir when used to mean perceiving or hearing a subtle sound.
sentir(Verb)
to hear
?perceiving a sound
to notice
?with any sense
,to perceive
?to become aware of something
📝 In Action
Sentí un ruido en la otra habitación.
B1I heard a noise in the other room.
A lo lejos, se sentían las campanas de la iglesia.
B2In the distance, the church bells could be heard.
Apenas sentí el pinchazo de la aguja.
B1I barely felt the prick of the needle.
⭐ Usage Tips
Sentir vs. Oír (to hear)
'Oír' is the general word for hearing. 'Sentir' is more poetic or subtle, like you're not just hearing a sound but perceiving it or feeling its presence. Use 'oír' for everyday hearing.
Visualizing sentir when used to mean having an intuition or sensing an unspoken truth.
sentir(Verb)
to sense
?intuition, a gut feeling
to have a feeling that
?expressing a premonition
📝 In Action
Siento que algo malo va a pasar.
B2I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen.
Él sintió que ella no le estaba diciendo toda la verdad.
B2He sensed that she wasn't telling him the whole truth.
💡 Grammar Points
Sensing vs. Thinking
When you use 'siento que' to express a gut feeling or intuition, it's very similar to 'creo que' (I believe that) or 'pienso que' (I think that). The verb that follows is usually in the normal, non-subjunctive form.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sentir
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly uses 'sentir' to talk about an emotional state?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between 'sentir' and 'sentirse'?
Think of it this way: you use 'sentir' for things you feel that are separate from you (like 'siento frío' - I feel coldness). You use 'sentirse' to describe your own internal state ('me siento feliz' - I feel happy). 'Sentir' takes an object; 'sentirse' is followed by an adjective or adverb describing you.
Is 'Lo siento' the only way to say 'I'm sorry'?
No! 'Lo siento' is best for expressing sympathy or deep regret. For small things, like bumping into someone, you'd use 'perdón' (pardon me) or 'disculpa' (excuse me). 'Perdón' is also used to ask for forgiveness.
Why does the vowel change in 'siento' but not in 'sentimos'?
This is a common pattern for 'stem-changing' verbs in Spanish. The vowel change happens when the spoken stress falls on that part of the word (siEN-to), but not when the stress is on the ending (-tI-mos). It's like a 'boot' shape in the conjugation chart—the 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' forms are outside the boot and don't change.