Sentir

Sentir has several important meanings depending on context. In its most basic form, it means "to feel" in terms of physical sensations: "siento frío" (I feel cold), "siento dolor" (I feel pain). It also means "to feel" emotionally: "siento alegría" (I feel joy), "siento tristeza" (I feel sadness). Perhaps most commonly in everyday conversation, it means "to be sorry" in the expression "lo siento" (I'm sorry, literally "I feel it"). The reflexive form "sentirse" is used specifically for describing emotional or physical states of being. While "sentir" takes a direct object (I feel something), "sentirse" describes how you feel overall: "me siento feliz" (I feel happy), "me siento cansado" (I feel tired), "me siento mejor" (I feel better). This distinction between sentir and sentirse is one of the key grammar points learners need to master. Sentir also appears in the expression "sentir que" (to feel that) for expressing opinions or intuitions: "siento que algo va a pasar" (I feel that something is going to happen). And in more formal or literary contexts, "sentir" can mean "to regret": "siento mucho la pérdida" (I deeply regret the loss / I am very sorry for the loss).

Sentir is a stem-changing verb of the e-to-ie type, following the same boot pattern as querer. In the present tense, the E in the stem changes to IE in all forms where the stem is stressed (all singular forms and the third person plural), while it remains unchanged in the nosotros and vosotros forms. Here is the full present tense conjugation: yo siento (I feel), tú sientes (you feel, informal), él/ella/usted siente (he/she feels, you feel formal), nosotros sentimos (we feel), vosotros sentís (you all feel, Spain), and ellos/ellas/ustedes sienten (they feel, you all feel). For the reflexive form sentirse, add the reflexive pronouns: yo me siento, tú te sientes, él/ella/usted se siente, nosotros nos sentimos, vosotros os sentís, ellos/ellas/ustedes se sienten. The reflexive pronouns go before the conjugated verb in most cases. Note that sentir has an additional irregularity: in the preterite, the third person forms use an I instead of E (sintió, sintieron), and the gerund is "sintiendo" (not "sentiendo").

Understanding the difference between sentir and sentirse is essential for using this verb correctly. Sentir (without the reflexive pronoun) is transitive, meaning it takes a direct object. You feel something specific: "siento el viento" (I feel the wind), "siento emoción" (I feel excitement), "lo siento" (I feel it / I'm sorry). Sentirse (with the reflexive pronoun) describes how you feel as a state of being, and it is typically followed by an adjective or adverb rather than a noun. "Me siento bien" (I feel good/well), "se siente triste" (she feels sad), "nos sentimos orgullosos" (we feel proud). You cannot say "me siento la alegría" - that would mix the two constructions incorrectly. Instead, say "siento alegría" (I feel joy) or "me siento alegre" (I feel joyful). A helpful rule of thumb: if what follows is a noun (a thing you feel), use sentir. If what follows is an adjective (a way you feel), use sentirse. This parallels the English distinction between "I feel pain" (feel + noun, like sentir) and "I feel happy" (feel + adjective, like sentirse). Practicing both forms in context, especially through songs, helps make this distinction intuitive.

Learning sentir is your gateway to a rich vocabulary of emotions and physical sensations. For positive emotions: feliz (happy), contento/contenta (content/pleased), alegre (joyful), emocionado/emocionada (excited), agradecido/agradecida (grateful), tranquilo/tranquila (calm/peaceful), and orgulloso/orgullosa (proud). You express these with sentirse: "me siento feliz" (I feel happy), "me siento agradecido" (I feel grateful), "nos sentimos orgullosos" (we feel proud). For challenging emotions: triste (sad), enojado/enojada (angry), preocupado/preocupada (worried), nervioso/nerviosa (nervous), cansado/cansada (tired), solo/sola (lonely), confundido/confundida (confused), and frustrado/frustrada (frustrated). "Me siento triste hoy" (I feel sad today) or "se siente preocupada por el examen" (she feels worried about the exam). For physical sensations with sentir: "siento frío" (I feel cold), "siento calor" (I feel hot), "siento hambre" (I feel hunger), "siento dolor de cabeza" (I feel a headache), "siento náuseas" (I feel nauseous). Building this emotional and sensory vocabulary around the verb sentir gives you the tools to express your complete human experience in Spanish, from the physical to the deeply emotional. Being able to name what you feel is one of the most empowering aspects of learning any new language.