Both sentir and sentirse mean “to feel” — but they express different kinds of feeling.
- Sentir (non-reflexive) = to feel something — an emotion, a physical sensation, or to regret
- Sentirse (reflexive) = to feel a certain way — describes your own state or condition
Sentir: Feeling Something External
Feeling an emotion or sensation (with an object)
Sentir takes a direct object — you’re feeling something:
- Siento miedo. — I feel fear.
- Siente mucho dolor. — She feels a lot of pain.
- Sentimos el frío. — We felt the cold.
- ¿Sientes eso? — Do you feel that?
Sensing or perceiving
Sentir is used for perceiving things through the senses:
- Siento un olor extraño. — I smell something strange. (lit. I feel a strange smell)
- Sentí un ruido. — I heard a noise.
- Sientes el calor? — Do you feel the heat?
To regret / to be sorry
One of the most common uses of sentir is to express regret:
- Lo siento. — I’m sorry. (lit. I feel it)
- Siento mucho lo que pasó. — I’m very sorry about what happened.
- Sentimos no poder ayudarte. — We’re sorry we can’t help you.
- ¿No sientes ningún remordimiento? — Don’t you feel any remorse?
Sentir + infinitive or que + subjunctive
Sentir can be followed by an infinitive or a clause:
- Siento llegar tarde. — I’m sorry for arriving late.
- Siento que no puedas venir. — I’m sorry you can’t come.
Sentirse: Feeling a Certain Way
The reflexive form describes your own internal state — how you feel as a person:
Physical states
- Me siento bien. — I feel well.
- Se siente mal. — She feels sick.
- ¿Cómo te sientes? — How do you feel?
- Me sentía cansado. — I was feeling tired.
Emotional states
- Me siento solo. — I feel lonely.
- Se sienten contentos. — They feel happy.
- Me siento culpable. — I feel guilty.
- No me siento seguro aquí. — I don’t feel safe here.
Identity and belonging
- Me siento español. — I feel Spanish.
- Se siente parte del equipo. — She feels like part of the team.
- No se siente en casa. — He doesn’t feel at home.
Practice sentir conjugations — including the stem change.
Hablito drills verb conjugations across all tenses until they become automatic — free, no account needed.
The Key Distinction
The test is simple: are you feeling something (an object, a sensation, a regret), or are you describing how you feel as a person?
| Situation | Verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Feeling pain, fear, cold | sentir | Siento dolor. |
| Saying sorry | sentir | Lo siento. |
| Your physical state | sentirse | Me siento mal. |
| Your emotional state | sentirse | Me siento feliz. |
| How you feel as a person | sentirse | Se siente libre. |
Irregular Forms to Know
Sentir is an -ir stem-changing verb (e → ie in the present, e → i in the preterite third person and gerund):
| Form | Sentir |
|---|---|
| yo | siento |
| tú | sientes |
| él/ella | siente |
| nosotros | sentimos |
| vosotros | sentís |
| ellos | sienten |
The same pattern applies to sentirse: me siento, te sientes, se siente…
Drill sentir conjugations until the stem change becomes second nature.
Hablito drills verb conjugations across all tenses until they become automatic — free, no account needed.