Inklingo

How to Say "feeling" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “feeling” is “sentimiento” — use 'sentimiento' for a specific, often deeper or more sustained, emotional state or mood, like happiness, sadness, or love.

sentimiento🔊A1

Use 'sentimiento' for a specific, often deeper or more sustained, emotional state or mood, like happiness, sadness, or love.

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sintiendo🔊A1

Use 'sintiendo' (the gerund of 'sentir') when describing the ongoing experience of an emotion or physical sensation in the present moment.

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sensaciónA2

Use 'sensación' primarily for physical feelings or bodily states, but also for a general intuitive sense that something is happening.

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emociónA1

Use 'emoción' to refer to a strong, often sudden, emotional state or reaction, like excitement, fear, or surprise.

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impresiónA1

Use 'impresión' to describe a general belief, opinion, or the initial effect something or someone has on you.

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presentimiento🔊B2

Use 'presentimiento' for a specific intuitive sense or hunch that something might happen, often something negative.

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vibraciónB2

Use 'vibración' to describe an intuitive or atmospheric sense about a place or situation, similar to 'vibe'.

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English → Spanish

sentimiento

sen-tee-MYEN-tohsen.tiˈmjen.to

nounA1general
Use 'sentimiento' for a specific, often deeper or more sustained, emotional state or mood, like happiness, sadness, or love.
A brightly colored simple illustration of a stylized human figure with a glowing heart symbolizing happiness.

Examples

Tengo un sentimiento de alegría muy fuerte hoy.

I have a very strong feeling of joy today.

No puedo ocultar mis sentimientos por ti.

I can't hide my feelings for you.

Ella hirió mis sentimientos con ese comentario.

She hurt my feelings with that comment.

Masculine Noun Rule

Since 'sentimiento' ends in -o, it is a masculine word and always uses the masculine article 'el' (el sentimiento) or 'los' when plural (los sentimientos).

The -miento Suffix

This word comes from the verb 'sentir' (to feel). The suffix '-miento' often turns a verb into a noun describing the result or action of that verb, like 'movimiento' (movement) from 'mover' (to move).

Confusing Noun and Verb

Mistake: “Using 'sentimiento' when you mean 'I feel,' e.g., 'Yo sentimiento frío.'”

Correction: Use the verb 'sentir' for actions: 'Yo siento frío' (I feel cold).

sintiendo

seen-tee-EN-dohsinˈtjen.do

verbA1general
Use 'sintiendo' (the gerund of 'sentir') when describing the ongoing experience of an emotion or physical sensation in the present moment.
A peaceful illustration of a person sitting cross-legged, eyes closed, surrounded by a gentle, golden light, signifying a feeling of calm and contentment.

Examples

Ahora mismo, estoy sintiendo mucho frío.

Right now, I am feeling very cold.

¿Qué estás sintiendo después de la noticia?

What are you feeling after the news?

El equipo se está sintiendo más confiado con cada victoria.

The team is feeling more confident with every victory.

The Continuous Action

This form, 'sintiendo,' is used with the verb 'estar' (like 'estoy,' 'estás,' etc.) to show an action that is happening right now, similar to the '-ing' form in English.

Irregular Gerund Rule

Even though the base verb is 'sentir,' the middle 'e' changes to an 'i' here ('sintiendo'). This is a common pattern for many -ir verbs like 'pedir' (pido) and 'dormir' (durmiendo).

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake: “Estoy *sentando* (Incorrectly using the regular form or confusing it with the verb 'to sit').”

Correction: Estoy *sintiendo*. Remember that the vowel changes from E to I when forming the continuous action word for 'sentir'.

sensación

nounA2general
Use 'sensación' primarily for physical feelings or bodily states, but also for a general intuitive sense that something is happening.

Examples

Tengo una sensación de ardor en la mano.

I have a burning sensation in my hand.

emoción

nounA1general
Use 'emoción' to refer to a strong, often sudden, emotional state or reaction, like excitement, fear, or surprise.

Examples

Ella sintió una gran emoción al ver a su familia.

She felt great emotion when seeing her family.

impresión

nounA1general
Use 'impresión' to describe a general belief, opinion, or the initial effect something or someone has on you.

Examples

Mi primera impresión de la ciudad fue muy positiva.

My first impression of the city was very positive.

presentimiento

pre-sen-tee-mee-en-tohpɾesentiˈmjento

nounB2general
Use 'presentimiento' for a specific intuitive sense or hunch that something might happen, often something negative.
A high quality storybook illustration showing a young child standing on a grassy path. Floating in the air just in front of the child's face is a small, translucent, glowing image of a bright red umbrella, symbolizing a sudden premonition.

Examples

Tuve un presentimiento de que algo no iba bien en la reunión.

I had a premonition that something wasn't going well in the meeting.

Ella siempre confía en sus presentimientos, y rara vez se equivoca.

She always trusts her hunches, and she is rarely wrong.

Un profundo presentimiento de fatalidad la invadió al leer la carta.

A deep sense of foreboding overcame her upon reading the letter.

Masculine Noun

Remember that 'presentimiento' is a masculine noun, so you must use 'el' or 'un' before it: 'El presentimiento' (The premonition).

Confusing 'Presentimiento' and 'Sentimiento'

Mistake: “Using 'sentimiento' when you mean an intuition about the future.”

Correction: 'Presentimiento' is about sensing the *future* (pre-), while 'sentimiento' is about current *emotions* (feeling/emotion).

vibración

nounB2informal
Use 'vibración' to describe an intuitive or atmospheric sense about a place or situation, similar to 'vibe'.

Examples

Este café tiene una vibración muy relajante.

This café has a very relaxing vibe.

Sentimiento vs. Sensación

Learners often confuse 'sentimiento' and 'sensación'. Remember that 'sentimiento' is usually for emotional states (joy, sadness), while 'sensación' is more for physical feelings (cold, pain) or a general impression of a situation.

Related Translations

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