sintió
/seen-tee-OH/
felt
The child sintió (felt) warm and comfortable under the blanket, an emotional state.
sintió(verb)
felt
?emotion or psychological state
,experienced
?a specific feeling
was sorry
?when used in certain contexts, though less common in simple past
📝 In Action
Ella sintió una gran tristeza al irse.
A1She felt great sadness upon leaving.
Él sintió que no estaba solo en la sala.
A2He felt that he wasn't alone in the room.
¿Usted sintió alivio después de la reunión?
B1Did you (formal) feel relief after the meeting?
💡 Grammar Points
A Completed Action
Sintió is the simple past tense (preterite). It describes a feeling that started and finished completely at a specific point in the past, like 'He felt sad for a moment.'
Irregular Change in the Past
The base verb 'sentir' is irregular. Notice the 'e' in the middle changes to an 'i' in this specific form: sentir becomes sintió. This only happens for 'él, ella, usted' and 'ellos, ellas, ustedes' in the simple past.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Past Tenses
Mistake: "Using 'sentía' when describing a single, finished moment."
Correction: 'Sentía' (imperfect) means 'He used to feel' or 'He was feeling.' Use 'sintió' for a feeling that happened once: 'Cuando vio el regalo, sintió felicidad' (When he saw the gift, he felt happiness).
⭐ Usage Tips
Quick Reference
If you are talking about something 'he, she, or you (formal)' felt, and it happened once and ended, use 'sintió'.
He sintió (sensed) the first drop of rain on his skin, a physical sensation.
sintió(verb)
sensed
?a physical presence or change
,felt
?a physical sensation (e.g., heat, touch)
perceived
?using the senses
📝 In Action
El corredor sintió un dolor agudo en la rodilla.
A2The runner felt a sharp pain in his knee.
Ella sintió el temblor de la tierra antes que nadie.
B1She felt the earth tremble before anyone else.
Mi abuelo sintió el cambio de clima en sus huesos.
B2My grandfather felt the change in weather in his bones.
💡 Grammar Points
Feeling vs. Sensing
In Spanish, 'sentir' covers both internal emotional feelings and external physical sensations (like heat or pain). In English, we sometimes use 'sense' for the latter, but 'sentir' works for both.
⭐ Usage Tips
Connecting to the Body
When 'sintió' is followed by a body part or a physical sensation, it always refers to a direct, completed physical experience.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: sintió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'sintió' to describe a physical sensation?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'sintió' change the 'e' to an 'i'?
The verb 'sentir' is irregular. When conjugating it in the simple past (preterite), the third-person forms ('él/ella/usted' and 'ellos/ellas/ustedes') undergo a vowel change from E to I. This is a common pattern for many -ir verbs.
What is the difference between 'sintió' and 'se sintió'?
'Sintió' (from 'sentir') means 'he/she felt' an external thing or emotion (e.g., 'sintió frío' - he felt cold). 'Se sintió' (from 'sentirse') is reflexive and means 'he/she felt (a state of being)' or 'he/she felt self-pity' (e.g., 'se sintió feliz' - he felt happy, referring to his own state).