Sentirse is a super important verb in Spanish because it means “to feel,” whether you’re talking about physical sensations or emotions. If you want to say “I feel happy” or “I feel sick,” sentirse is the verb you’ll use.
Now, here’s the catch: Sentirse is an irregular verb. That means it doesn’t follow the normal rules of Spanish conjugation, so you can’t just slap a standard ending onto the stem. It takes a little extra practice to master.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about conjugate sentirse correctly in all the major tenses and moods. We’ll cover the indicative (what is happening), the subjunctive (what might happen), and even the imperative (commands!). With plenty of examples, you’ll be feeling confident about using sentirse in no time.
Understanding Reflexive Verbs and “Sentirse”
Before we dive into conjugating “sentirse,” let’s take a quick look at reflexive verbs. These are verbs where the subject of the sentence is also the receiver of the action. Think of it as doing something to yourself.
Reflexive verbs always pair up with reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se. These pronouns are essential! They tell us that the action is being reflected back on the subject.
When you use a reflexive pronoun with “sentirse,” it subtly shifts the meaning. Instead of feeling happiness (a noun), you’re feeling happy (an adjective). For example:
- Me siento feliz (I feel happy).
- versus
- Siento felicidad (I feel happiness).
“Sentirse” always requires a reflexive pronoun. You’ll never just say “Siento.” You’ll always say “Yo me siento,” “Tú te sientes,” and so on.
Here are a couple more examples in simple sentences:
- Me siento cansado hoy. (I feel tired today.)
- Ella se siente feliz por su éxito. (She feels happy about her success.)
“Sentirse” Conjugation: Indicative Mood
Here’s how to conjugate “sentirse” (to feel) in the indicative mood, which is used to express factual or objective statements.
Present Tense
Here’s the conjugation chart for “sentirse” in the present tense:
- Yo me siento (I feel)
- Tú te sientes (You feel, informal)
- Él/Ella/Usted se siente (He/She/You feel, formal)
- Nosotros nos sentimos (We feel)
- Vosotros os sentís (You feel, informal plural – primarily used in Spain)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se sienten (They/You feel, formal plural)
Examples:
- Yo me siento bien hoy. (I feel good today.)
- ¿Te sientes nervioso antes del examen? (Do you feel nervous before the exam?)
Past Tenses
Here are the conjugations for the various past tenses:
Preterite Tense
- Yo me sentí (I felt)
- Tú te sentiste (You felt)
- Él/Ella/Usted se sintió (He/She/You felt)
- Nosotros nos sentimos (We felt)
- Vosotros os sentisteis (You felt)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se sintieron (They/You felt)
Example: Me sentí muy feliz cuando recibí la noticia. (I felt very happy when I received the news.)
Imperfect Tense
- Yo me sentía (I used to feel/I was feeling)
- Tú te sentías (You used to feel/You were feeling)
- Él/Ella/Usted se sentía (He/She/You used to feel/He/She/You were feeling)
- Nosotros nos sentíamos (We used to feel/We were feeling)
- Vosotros os sentíais (You used to feel/You were feeling)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se sentían (They/You used to feel/They/You were feeling)
Example: Yo me sentía importante en mi primer trabajo. (I used to feel important in my first job.)
Present Perfect Tense
This tense uses “haber” (to have) + the past participle “sentido.”
- Yo me he sentido (I have felt)
- Tú te has sentido (You have felt)
- Él/Ella/Usted se ha sentido (He/She/You have felt)
- Nosotros nos hemos sentido (We have felt)
- Vosotros os habéis sentido (You have felt)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se han sentido (They/You have felt)
Example: Me he sentido mejor desde que empecé a hacer ejercicio. (I have felt better since I started exercising.)
Past Perfect Tense (Pluperfect)
This tense uses “haber” in the imperfect tense + the past participle “sentido.”
- Yo me había sentido (I had felt)
- Tú te habías sentido (You had felt)
- Él/Ella/Usted se había sentido (He/She/You had felt)
- Nosotros nos habíamos sentido (We had felt)
- Vosotros os habíais sentido (You had felt)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se habían sentido (They/You had felt)
Example: Nunca me había sentido tan emocionado antes. (I had never felt so excited before.)
Future Tense
- Yo me sentiré (I will feel)
- Tú te sentirás (You will feel)
- Él/Ella/Usted se sentirá (He/She/You will feel)
- Nosotros nos sentiremos (We will feel)
- Vosotros os sentiréis (You will feel)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se sentirán (They/You will feel)
Example: Me sentiré orgulloso cuando me gradúe. (I will feel proud when I graduate.)
Conditional Tense
- Yo me sentiría (I would feel)
- Tú te sentirías (You would feel)
- Él/Ella/Usted se sentiría (He/She/You would feel)
- Nosotros nos sentiríamos (We would feel)
- Vosotros os sentiríais (You would feel)
- Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes se sentirían (They/You would feel)
Example: Me sentiría mejor si pudiera dormir más. (I would feel better if I could sleep more.)
Sentirse conjugation: Subjunctive mood
The subjunctive mood is used to express wishes, doubts, possibilities, and hypothetical situations. Here’s how sentirse changes in the subjunctive mood:
Present subjunctive
Yo me sienta, tú te sientas, él/ella/usted se sienta, nosotros nos sintamos, vosotros os sintáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes se sientan.
Example: Quiero que te sientas cómodo. (I want you to feel comfortable.)
Past subjunctive (Imperfect subjunctive)
There are two ways to conjugate in the past subjunctive:
Yo me sintiera/sintiese, tú te sintieras/sintieses, él/ella/usted se sintiera/sintiese, nosotros nos sintiéramos/sintiésemos, vosotros os sintierais/sintieseis, ellos/ellas/ustedes se sintieran/sintiesen.
Example: Si me sintiera mejor, iría a la fiesta. (If I felt better, I would go to the party.)
Perfect subjunctive
This tense uses haya (the present subjunctive of haber) + the past participle (sentido).
For example: Yo me haya sentido, tú te hayas sentido…
Example: Me alegra que te hayas sentido bienvenido. (I’m glad that you have felt welcome.)
Pluperfect subjunctive
This tense uses hubiera (the past subjunctive of haber) + the past participle (sentido).
For example: Yo me hubiera sentido, tú te hubieras sentido…
Example: Si me hubiera sentido mal, no habría ido. (If I had felt bad, I wouldn’t have gone.)
Sentirse in the Imperative Mood (Commands)
The imperative mood is how you give orders or instructions in Spanish. It’s like telling someone what to do. With sentirse, it gets a little tricky because it’s a reflexive verb.
Here’s how you conjugate sentirse in the imperative, focusing on the informal “tú” (you) and the formal “usted” (you, formal):
- Tú (Informal):
- Affirmative: ¡Siéntete! (Feel!)
- Negative: ¡No te sientas! (Don’t feel!)
- Usted (Formal):
- Affirmative: ¡Siéntase! (Feel!)
- Negative: ¡No se sienta! (Don’t feel!)
- Nosotros (We/Let’s):
- Affirmative: ¡Sintámonos! (Let’s feel!)
- Negative: ¡No nos sintamos! (Let’s not feel!)
A common example is: “¡Siéntete como en casa!” which means “Feel at home!”
Verbals: Gerund and Participle of “Sentirse”
Like all Spanish verbs, “sentirse” has a gerund and a past participle. Let’s take a look:
Gerund: “sintiéndose”
The gerund, “sintiéndose,” is used to create continuous tenses, showing an action in progress. For example, “Está sintiéndose mejor” translates to “He/She is feeling better.”
Past Participle: “sentido”
The past participle, “sentido,” is used in perfect tenses. An example of this is: “Me he sentido muy feliz,” which means “I have felt very happy.”
Common Mistakes with “Sentirse”
One of the trickiest things about “sentirse” is that it looks so similar to “sentir,” which means “to feel.” However, they’re not exactly the same. “Sentir” means “to feel” something concrete. For example, “Siento el frío” translates to “I feel the cold.” “Sentirse,” on the other hand, is about feeling a certain way, as in “Me siento frío,” which means “I feel cold.”
Also, remember those stem changes! Verbs like “sentirse” often change in the present tense (e to ie). And, of course, never forget the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se)!
Finally, be careful not to confuse “sentirse” with other similar verbs like “sentar” (to seat). Context is key!
Summary
In summary, sentirse is an irregular reflexive verb, and mastering its conjugation across different tenses and moods is key to speaking and writing Spanish effectively.
Understanding the nuances of sentirse will help you express a wide range of emotions and physical sensations with greater accuracy and clarity.
To continue your language learning journey, I suggest that you use online conjugation tools, practice speaking with native Spanish speakers, and read Spanish literature. With continued study and practice, you’ll be able to use sentirse with confidence and fluency.