Spanish grammar · Beginner
Sentir Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Sentir means to feel (physical / emotional sensation) or to be sorry. Stem-changing e→ie in present, e→i in 3rd person preterite and present subjunctive (sintió, sintieron, sintamos). Reflexive sentirse very common.
Siento mucho frío.
I feel very cold.
What it is
Sentir means to feel (physical or emotional sensation) or to be sorry. Stem-change e→ie in stressed forms (present) and e→i in 3rd person preterite (sintió, sintieron) and present subjunctive (sintamos, sintáis).
Siento frío (I feel cold, present e→ie). Lo siento mucho (I'm very sorry, fixed expression). Me siento feliz (I feel happy, reflexive sentirse).
How to spot it
e→ie in present stressed forms (siento, sientes, siente, sienten). e→i in 3rd person preterite and present subjunctive nosotros / vosotros (sintió, sintieron, sintamos, sintáis). Reflexive form sentirse for emotional states.
- Siento un dolor. — I feel a pain.
- Lo siento mucho. — I'm very sorry.
- Me siento bien. — I feel well.
Sentir is one of the famous e→ie→i 'three-way' stem-changing verbs. Same family as preferir, mentir, divertir.
Sentir Conjugation Quick Reference
Sentir at a glance
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | siento | sentí | sentía | sentiré | sienta |
| tú | sientes | sentiste | sentías | sentirás | sientas |
| él/ella/Ud. | siente | sintió | sentía | sentirá | sienta |
| nosotros | sentimos | sentimos | sentíamos | sentiremos | sintamos |
| vosotros | sentís | sentisteis | sentíais | sentiréis | sintáis |
| ellos/Uds. | sienten | sintieron | sentían | sentirán | sientan |
Common Sentir Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Sentir across uses:
Physical Sensations
- Siento mucho frío.
- I feel very cold.
- Sentí un dolor en la espalda.
- I felt a pain in my back.
- ¿Sientes el viento?
- Do you feel the wind?
- Sentíamos un olor extraño.
- We could smell something strange.
Sentir for physical sensations: cold, heat, pain, smell, touch, etc.
Emotions (Often Reflexive)
- Me siento feliz.
- I feel happy.
- Se sienten cansados.
- They feel tired.
- ¿Cómo te sientes hoy?
- How do you feel today?
- Me siento mejor.
- I feel better.
For emotions / how you feel, use reflexive sentirse: me siento, te sientes, se siente.
Sorry / Regret
- Lo siento mucho.
- I'm very sorry.
- Siento llegar tarde.
- I'm sorry to arrive late.
- Sentimos la pérdida.
- We're sorry for the loss.
- Lo siento, no puedo ir.
- I'm sorry, I can't go.
Sentir + accusative pronoun (lo) = to be sorry. Lo siento is one of the most-used Spanish apologies.
Subjunctive Triggers (e→i)
- Quiero que sientas la música.
- I want you to feel the music.
- Es importante que nos sintamos seguros.
- It's important we feel safe.
- Espero que te sientas mejor pronto.
- I hope you feel better soon.
- No creo que sienta nada.
- I don't think he feels anything.
In subjunctive, nosotros / vosotros forms change e→i: sintamos, sintáis. Other forms keep e→ie: sienta, sientas, sienta, sientan.
How to Conjugate Sentir Across Tenses
Present, Stem Change e→ie
Siento, sientes, siente, sentimos, sentís, sienten. Boot verb pattern: e→ie in yo/tú/él/ellos (stressed); regular in nosotros / vosotros.
Siento frío. Sentimos calor.
I feel cold. We feel hot.
Boot: e→ie when stressed.
Preterite, e→i in 3rd Person
Sentí, sentiste, sintió, sentimos, sentisteis, sintieron. 3rd person singular and plural have e→i shift (sintió, sintieron).
Sintió un dolor. Sintieron miedo.
He felt a pain. They felt fear.
Preterite 3rd person: sintió / sintieron.
Subjunctive: e→ie + e→i
Sienta, sientas, sienta, sintamos, sintáis, sientan. Most forms have e→ie. Nosotros / vosotros have e→i (sintamos, sintáis).
Espero que sientas la música.
I hope you feel the music.
Subjunctive: ie + i mix.
Gerund: Sintiendo
Gerund has e→i: sintiendo (not *sentiendo). Used in estoy sintiendo, estaba sintiendo, etc.
Estoy sintiendo el ritmo.
I'm feeling the rhythm.
Gerund: sintiendo (e→i).
Common Mistakes with Sentir Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo siento muy feliz. — I feel very happy.
Correct: Me siento muy feliz. — I feel very happy.
For emotions (how you feel), use reflexive sentirse with a reflexive pronoun: me siento. Without me, sentir takes a direct object (siento frío = I feel cold).
Incorrect: Él sentió un dolor. — He felt a pain.
Correct: Él sintió un dolor. — He felt a pain.
Preterite 3rd person singular has e→i: sintió (not *sentió). Same shift in plural (sintieron).
Incorrect: Espero que nos sentamos bien. — I hope we feel well.
Correct: Espero que nos sintamos bien. — I hope we feel well.
Subjunctive nosotros form has e→i: sintamos (not *sentamos). Same e→i shift as preterite 3rd person.
Sentir Across Every Tense
e→ie / e→i three-way stem changer. Same pattern as preferir, mentir, divertir.
Present (e→ie)
Boot: e→ie when stressed.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Boot shape.
Preterite (e→i in 3rd Person)
e→i only in 3rd person.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Sintió, sintieron only.
Imperfect (Regular)
Standard imperfect.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Regular.
Future / Conditional / Subjunctive / Compound
Future / cond. regular. Subj. has ie + i mix.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| yo (present perfect) |
Past participle sentido regular.
Sentir Conjugation FAQs
- What does sentir mean and when do you use it?
- Sentir means to feel (physical / emotional sensation) or to be sorry. Use for: physical sensations (siento frío), apologies (lo siento), and with reflexive sentirse for emotions (me siento feliz).
- How do you conjugate sentir in the present?
- Siento, sientes, siente, sentimos, sentís, sienten. Stem changes e→ie in stressed forms (yo, tú, él, ellos). Nosotros and vosotros stay regular.
- What's the preterite of sentir?
- Sentí, sentiste, sintió, sentimos, sentisteis, sintieron. 3rd person singular (sintió) and plural (sintieron) shift e→i. Other forms regular.
- What's the difference between siento and me siento?
- Siento + noun = I feel X (physical sensation): siento frío (I feel cold). Me siento + adjective = I feel X (emotion / health): me siento feliz (I feel happy). Lo siento (fixed) = I'm sorry.
- How can I master sentir?
- Drill the three-way e→ie / e→i stem changes (present boot, preterite 3rd person, subjunctive nosotros). Practice with sentirse for emotions. Same family as preferir, mentir. Parrot's videos show sentir in natural contexts.