Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Feeling in Spanish: Sentimiento & Sensación
Sentimiento · noun (masculine) · sehn-tee-MYEHN-toh
Sentimiento is for emotional feelings (love, sadness, joy). Sensación is for physical feelings (warmth, tingling) or gut impressions. The verb is sentir.
sehn-tee-MYEHN-toh (sentimiento) · sehn-sah-SYOHN (sensación)
No puedo describir el sentimiento que tengo ahora mismo.
I cannot describe the feeling I have right now.
Feeling in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for feeling, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| sentimiento | feeling | sehn-tee-MYEHN-toh | Default, widely understood |
| sensación | feeling | physical feeling or impression | |
| sentir | feeling | verb: to feel |
How Native Speakers Use Sentimiento
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Emotional context
Ese sentimiento de nostalgia me invade cada vez que escucho esa canción.
That feeling of nostalgia comes over me every time I hear that song.
Sentimiento pairs naturally with emotions like amor, tristeza, alegría.
Physical sensation
Tengo una sensación extraña en el estómago.
I have a strange feeling in my stomach.
Sensación is correct for bodily or physical feelings.
Expressing intuition
Tengo el presentimiento de que algo va a cambiar.
I have a feeling that something is going to change.
Presentimiento means a premonition or hunch — a feeling about the future.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Sentimiento
Using sentimiento for physical feeling
Incorrect: Tengo un sentimiento de frío en los pies.
Correct: Tengo una sensación de frío en los pies.
Sentimiento is for emotions. For physical sensations (cold, heat), use sensación.
Saying sentimiento for a hunch
Incorrect: Tengo un sentimiento de que va a llover.
Correct: Tengo el presentimiento de que va a llover.
For a hunch or premonition, the correct word is presentimiento, not sentimiento.
Lock in Feeling Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Sentimiento used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using sentimiento in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear No puedo describir el sentimiento que tengo ahora mismo. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Feeling in Spanish
- How do you say feeling in Spanish?
- Emotions = sentimiento. Physical sensations = sensación. Hunch/premonition = presentimiento.
- How do you say I feel in Spanish?
- Yo siento (from sentir). Stem-changing (e→ie): siento, sientes, siente, sentimos, sienten.
- What is the plural of sentimiento?
- Sentimientos. Example: Tiene sentimientos encontrados (She has mixed feelings).