The Present Tense of Sentir is used to express feelings, emotions, or sensations that you are currently experiencing. For example, Siento mucho frío. (I feel very cold.)

Sentir is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes from ‘e’ to ‘ie’ in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. This is a common pattern for many Spanish verbs.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Sentir (to feel) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Sentir generally means to feel or sense something, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Physical sensation: To feel or experience a physical sensation, for example, Siento frío. (I feel cold.)

Emotion: To feel or experience an emotion, for example, Siento tristeza por su pérdida. (I feel sadness for their loss.)

Regret: To feel sorry or regretful about something, for example, Siento mucho haber llegado tarde. (I’m very sorry for being late.)

Perception: To perceive or sense something, for example, Siento un olor extraño. (I sense a strange smell.)

Colloquial usage: In some Latin American vernacular, it can mean “to like” or “to enjoy” something, for example, Siento mucho esta canción. (I really like this song.)

Rude usage: In some colloquial contexts, it can be used to express dislike or annoyance, for example, Siento que eres un idiota. (I feel like you’re an idiot.)

Examples

Examples of Sentir in the Present Tense

Cuando veo una película triste, siento ganas de llorar. (When I watch a sad movie, I feel like crying.)

Mis amigos sienten mucha emoción por el próximo concierto. (My friends feel very excited about the upcoming concert.)

Ella siente mucho orgullo por sus logros académicos. (She feels a lot of pride in her academic achievements.)

Nosotros sentimos una gran alegría cuando estamos juntos en familia. (We feel great joy when we are together as a family.)

Ellos sienten mucha curiosidad por conocer nuevas culturas. (They feel very curious to learn about new cultures.)

¿Sientes hambre? Podemos pedir una pizza. (Are you feeling hungry? We can order a pizza.)

En este momento, siento mucha paz interior. (At this moment, I feel a lot of inner peace.)

Mis compañeros de trabajo sienten mucho estrés por el próximo proyecto. (My coworkers feel a lot of stress about the upcoming project.)

Cuando estoy en la naturaleza, siento una gran tranquilidad. (When I’m in nature, I feel a great sense of tranquility.)

Ellos sienten una gran pasión por su trabajo. (They feel a great passion for their work.)

¿Sientes frío? Puedo traerte una manta. (Are you feeling cold? I can bring you a blanket.)

Nosotros sentimos mucha gratitud por las oportunidades que hemos tenido. (We feel a lot of gratitude for the opportunities we’ve had.)

Ella siente una gran emoción por su próximo viaje. (She feels very excited about her upcoming trip.)

Mis amigos sienten mucha nostalgia por los viejos tiempos. (My friends feel a lot of nostalgia for the old times.)

Cuando escucho esa canción, siento una gran felicidad. (When I listen to that song, I feel great happiness.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Sentir (to feel) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.