Inklingo

How to Say "they feel" in Spanish

English → Spanish

sienten

SYEHN-tehn/ˈsjen.ten/

VerbA1General
Use 'sienten' to describe emotions or physical sensations they are experiencing.
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing two small children sitting side-by-side, leaning slightly against each other, both smiling with expressions of comfort and contentment.

Examples

Ellos sienten frío en invierno.

They feel cold in winter.

Mis padres sienten mucha alegría al verme.

My parents feel a lot of joy when they see me.

Ustedes sienten el calor de la sala, ¿verdad?

You (formal plural) feel the heat in the room, right?

Los niños sienten curiosidad por el nuevo juguete.

The children feel curious about the new toy.

Irregularity Pattern

The verb 'sentir' is tricky! The 'e' in the middle changes to 'ie' in most forms, including 'sienten.' But watch out for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros,' which stay regular (sentimos, sentís).

Indicative vs. Subjunctive

Since 'sienten' ends in -en, it is the simple present tense (Indicative). This is used for facts, certainty, and things that are actually happening now. The form used for wishes or doubts is 'sientan'.

Confusing 'Sentir' and 'Sentarse'

Mistake: “Using 'sienten' when you mean 'they sit down' (Se sientan).”

Correction: To say 'they sit down,' you must use the reflexive form: 'Se sientan.' 'Sienten' only means 'they feel'.

tienen

/tyeh-nen//ˈtje.nen/

VerbA1General
Use 'tienen' when 'they feel' is followed by a noun describing a state, like hunger, thirst, or sleepiness, often translated as 'they have' in English.
Three cartoon children rubbing their empty stomachs looking hungry.

Examples

Los niños tienen sueño.

The children feel sleepy.

Los niños tienen hambre.

The children are hungry.

Si tienen frío, pueden cerrar la ventana.

If you (all) are cold, you can close the window.

Mis padres siempre tienen sueño después de comer.

My parents are always sleepy after eating.

Using 'Estar' for Sensations

Mistake: “Ellos están hambre.”

Correction: For common feelings like hunger, thirst, fear, or being hot/cold, Spanish uses 'tener'. Think of it like 'they have hunger'. The correct way is 'Ellos tienen hambre.'

encuentran

en-KWEHN-tran/enˈkwen.tɾan/

VerbA2General
Use 'se encuentran' to indicate where they are or how they are physically situated or feeling in a specific location.
Two friends walking towards each other on a park path, smiling and waving, about to meet up.

Examples

Se encuentran en el parque.

They are (located) in the park.

Se encuentran en la estación de tren a las seis.

They meet up at the train station at six.

Los documentos se encuentran en la caja fuerte.

The documents are located in the safe.

Ellos se encuentran bien después del viaje.

They feel well after the trip.

The Reflexive Partner: 'Se'

When 'encuentran' is used to mean 'meet up' or 'are located,' it needs the pronoun 'se' (or 'nos,' 'te,' etc.) in front of it. This shows the action is happening to or between the subjects.

Location vs. Finding

To say 'The keys are located in the drawer,' you must use the reflexive form ('Las llaves se encuentran...'). If you skip the 'se', it means 'The keys find...' which doesn't make sense!

Confusing Location and Finding

Mistake: “Los libros *encuentran* en el estante. (Incorrect: The books find on the shelf.)”

Correction: Los libros **se encuentran** en el estante. (Correct: The books are located on the shelf.)

Confusing 'sentir' with 'tener'

Learners often mistakenly use 'sienten' when they should use 'tienen' for states like hunger or sleepiness. Remember, 'tener' is used for 'having' these states, not 'feeling' them directly as emotions.

Related Translations

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