Sentirse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb sentirse means to feel, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Sentirse means to feel, and it is used for how you feel physically and emotionally: sentirse bien, sentirse mal, sentirse cansado, sentirse feliz. It is a stem-changing verb, e to ie in the present and e to i in the preterite third person and the gerund, so it rewards careful study. Like every Spanish verb, sentirse changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say me siento bien después de descansar, and in the preterite you say me sentí feliz con la noticia. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: sentirse
  • English: to feel
  • Verb type: irregular verb, reflexive, stem-changing (e → ie)
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: sintiendo
  • Past participle: sentido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + sentido)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.
  • Stem change: e → ie in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sentirse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Sentirse changes e to ie in the present (me siento) and e to i in the preterite third person (se sintió) and the gerund (sintiendo).

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for sentirse. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Pronoun Form
yo me siento
tú te sientes
él/ella/Ud. se siente
nosotros/as nos sentimos
vosotros/as os sentís
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sienten

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me sentí
tú te sentiste
él/ella/Ud. se sintió
nosotros/as nos sentimos
vosotros/as os sentisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sintieron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me sentía
tú te sentías
él/ella/Ud. se sentía
nosotros/as nos sentíamos
vosotros/as os sentíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sentían

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me sentiré
tú te sentirás
él/ella/Ud. se sentirá
nosotros/as nos sentiremos
vosotros/as os sentiréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sentirán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me sentiría
tú te sentirías
él/ella/Ud. se sentiría
nosotros/as nos sentiríamos
vosotros/as os sentiríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sentirían

Present perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me he sentido
tú te has sentido
él/ella/Ud. se ha sentido
nosotros/as nos hemos sentido
vosotros/as os habéis sentido
ellos/ellas/Uds. se han sentido

Pluperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me había sentido
tú te habías sentido
él/ella/Ud. se había sentido
nosotros/as nos habíamos sentido
vosotros/as os habíais sentido
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habían sentido

Future perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habré sentido
tú te habrás sentido
él/ella/Ud. se habrá sentido
nosotros/as nos habremos sentido
vosotros/as os habréis sentido
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrán sentido

Conditional perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habría sentido
tú te habrías sentido
él/ella/Ud. se habría sentido
nosotros/as nos habríamos sentido
vosotros/as os habríais sentido
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrían sentido

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me sienta
tú te sientas
él/ella/Ud. se sienta
nosotros/as nos sintamos
vosotros/as os sintáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sientan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me sintiera
tú te sintieras
él/ella/Ud. se sintiera
nosotros/as nos sintiéramos
vosotros/as os sintierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sintieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te siente
él/ella/Ud. se sienta
nosotros/as nos sintamos
vosotros/as os sentid
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sientan

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te sientas
él/ella/Ud. se sienta
nosotros/as nos sintamos
vosotros/as os sintáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se sientan

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund sintiendo with estar for the progressive: estoy sintiendo (or me estoy sintiendo for this reflexive verb)
Past participle sentido with haber for the perfect tenses: he sentido

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For sentirse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me siento bien después de descansar. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem vowel changes in the third-person forms, as in sintió, and in the gerund (sintiendo). Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For sentirse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me sentí cansado después del trabajo. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For sentirse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me sentía feliz con la noticia. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For sentirse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me sentiré mal con el frío. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For sentirse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me sentiría bien después de descansar si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For sentirse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he sentido cansado después del trabajo. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For sentirse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había sentido feliz con la noticia antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For sentirse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré sentido mal con el frío. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For sentirse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría sentido bien después de descansar con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For sentirse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se sienta cansado después del trabajo. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem vowel changes in the third-person forms, as in sintiera, and in the gerund (sintiendo). Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For sentirse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se sintiera feliz con la noticia, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For sentirse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se sienta mal con el frío. Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For sentirse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te sientas bien después de descansar. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with sentirse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me siento bien después de descansar. — I feel well after resting.
  2. Se siente cansado después del trabajo. — He/she feels tired after work.
  3. Ayer, me sentí feliz con la noticia. — Yesterday, I felt happy with the news.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos sentíamos mal con el frío. — Before, we used to feel unwell in the cold.
  5. Mañana, tú te sentirás bien después de descansar. — Tomorrow, you will feel well after resting.
  6. Yo me sentiría cansado después del trabajo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would feel tired after work if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha sentido feliz con la noticia. — He has felt happy with the news.
  8. Espero que él se sienta mal con el frío. — I hope he feels unwell in the cold.
  9. Yo ya me había sentido bien después de descansar antes de salir. — I had already felt well after resting before leaving.
  10. Ellos se sentían cansado después del trabajo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to feel tired after work when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo siento bien después de descansar. — Right: Yo me siento bien después de descansar. — Sentirse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Yo sento cansado después del trabajo. — Right: Yo siento cansado después del trabajo. — Sentirse is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
  3. Wrong: Treating sentirse and sentir as identical in every context. — Right: Sentirse means to feel, while sentir means to feel something, not yourself. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sentirse fits sentences such as Me siento bien después de descansar, while sentir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy sentido cansado después del trabajo. — Right: Yo he sentido cansado después del trabajo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sentido, has sentido, ha sentido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo sentí feliz con la noticia todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo sentía feliz con la noticia todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sentía), not the preterite. The preterite (sentí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on sentirse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ bien después de descansar. (present tense) A. me siento B. te sientes C. se siente D. nos sentimos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ cansado después del trabajo. (preterite) A. me sentí B. te sentiste C. se sintieron D. se sintió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ feliz con la noticia. (imperfect) A. te sentías B. se sentían C. nos sentíamos D. me sentía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ mal con el frío. (future) A. nos sentiremos B. te sentirás C. me sentiré D. se sentirá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ bien después de descansar si pudiera. (conditional) A. me sentiría B. te sentirías C. se sentiría D. se sentirían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ cansado después del trabajo. (present subjunctive) A. me sienta B. te sientas C. nos sintamos D. se sienta

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ feliz con la noticia, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se sintiera B. nos sintiéramos C. me sintiera D. te sintieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ mal con el frío. (present perfect) A. se han sentido B. nos hemos sentido C. me he sentido D. te has sentido

  9. Complete the command: No ___ bien después de descansar. (negative imperative, tú) A. te sientas B. se sienta C. nos sintamos D. os sintáis

  10. Which is the gerund of sentirse, used with estar for the progressive? A. sentido B. siento C. sentí D. sintiendo

Answer key

  1. me siento — The first-person present of sentirse is me siento. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se sintió — The third-person preterite of sentirse is se sintió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos sentíamos — The nosotros imperfect of sentirse is nos sentíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te sentirás — The second-person future of sentirse is te sentirás.
  5. me sentiría — The first-person conditional of sentirse is me sentiría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se sienta — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of sentirse is se sienta.
  7. me sintiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of sentirse is me sintiera.
  8. nos hemos sentido — The nosotros present perfect of sentirse is nos hemos sentido: hemos + sentido.
  9. te sientas — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te sientas.
  10. sintiendo — The gerund of sentirse is sintiendo: estoy sintiendo. The participle sentido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does sentirse mean in English?

Sentirse means to feel. It is used in everyday situations such as Me siento bien después de descansar. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is sentirse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Sentirse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me siento bien después de descansar and él se siente cansado después del trabajo. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between sentirse and sentir?

Sentirse means to feel, while sentir means to feel something, not yourself. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sentirse when you mean to feel, as in Me siento bien después de descansar, and use sentir for to feel something, not yourself. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I feel” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me sentí cansado después del trabajo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me sentía feliz con la noticia. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he sentido cansado después del trabajo.

How do I practise sentirse?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the sentirse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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