How to Say "to feel" in Spanish

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.

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'.

Use sentirse (with 'me, te, se', etc.) when the feeling is internal, describing your state (e.g., 'Me siento triste' - I feel sad). Use sentir (without the 'se') when you are feeling or sensing something external (e.g., 'Siento el frío' - I feel the cold).

In the present tense, the 'e' changes to 'ie' in all forms except for 'nosotros' and 'vosotros' (e.g., siento, but sentimos).

Use 'estar' for temporary states, moods, and physical conditions. Think of things that can change, like being tired, happy, or sick.

The word 'sentirme' is the base verb 'sentir' combined with the pronoun 'me' (myself). This combination only happens when the verb is in its infinitive form (the '-ar, -er, -ir' form), the gerund ('-ndo' form), or the affirmative command.

When you use 'sentirse,' you are describing a feeling that starts and ends with you. You are both the subject (the one feeling) and the object (the one being felt).

Use 'encontrarse' (or 'estar') for how you feel right now (a temporary state), but use 'ser' for who you are (a permanent identity or characteristic).

Use 'se nota' when you want to say something is obvious or clear to everyone, like 'Se nota que te gusta' (It's obvious you like it).

When you use 'encontrarse' to talk about feelings, it works just like 'estar' (to be temporarily), usually followed by an adjective (e.g., bien, cansado, triste).

This definition comes from the verb 'encontrarse.' The pronoun 'te' means 'you' are both doing the action and receiving it (finding yourself), or 'you' are involved in a mutual action (meeting up).

When used reflexively, 'encontrarse' often acts like 'estar' (to be) to describe how someone is feeling or where they are located: 'Me encuentro cansado' (I am tired).

This verb follows the standard pattern for -ar verbs, meaning once you know the ending rules, you can conjugate it in any tense easily!

In this sense, 'encontrarnos' acts like the verb 'estar' (to be), but emphasizes the state or location we have ended up in or discovered ourselves to be in.

Many common Spanish idioms use 'tomar' reflexively (with 'me') to indicate that the action or interpretation is happening to the speaker.

In some forms (like the 'yo' preterite and all present subjunctive), the 'c' changes to 'qu' (tocar -> toqué) to keep the hard 'k' sound, because 'ce' or 'ci' would sound like 's'.