The preterite of sentir is used to express when you felt something at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I felt sick yesterday” – “Me sentí enfermo ayer.”
This is an e to i stem-changing verb in the preterite tense. The stem change only occurs in the third person singular and plural forms (sintió, sintieron), while other forms maintain the ‘e’.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Sentir (to feel) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | sentí |
| Tú | sentiste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | sintió |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | sentimos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | sentisteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | sintieron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Sentir (to feel) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Sentir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of sentir expresses specific instances of feeling or sensing.
To feel/sense: Describes physical or emotional sensations, for example Sentí el temblor (I felt the earthquake), or Sintieron miedo (They felt afraid).
To regret: Indicates remorse, for example Sentí mucho tu pérdida (I really felt your loss).
Examples
Examples of Sentir in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Sentí un dolor agudo en la espalda. (I felt a sharp pain in my back.)
¿Sentiste el temblor anoche? (Did you feel the tremor last night?)
Sintió una gran alegría al verla. (He/she felt great joy upon seeing her.)
Sentimos mucho tu pérdida. (We deeply regretted your loss.)
Sintieron la necesidad de ayudar. (They felt the need to help.)
Sentí la brisa en mi cara. (I felt the breeze on my face.)
¿Sentiste miedo durante la tormenta? (Did you feel afraid during the storm?)
Sintió que algo no estaba bien. (He/she felt that something wasn’t right.)
Sentimos el calor del fuego. (We felt the heat of the fire.)
Sintieron vergüenza por su comportamiento. (They felt ashamed of their behavior.)
Sentí la música en mi corazón. (I felt the music in my heart.)
Sentiste la presión del momento. (You felt the pressure of the moment.)
Sintió pánico al ver el accidente. (He/she felt panic upon seeing the accident.)
Sentimos orgullo por sus logros. (We felt pride in their achievements.)
Sintieron gratitud por la ayuda. (They felt gratitude for the help.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Sentir (to feel) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo sentí | I felt |
| Tú sentiste | You felt |
| Él / Ella / Usted sintió | He / She / You (formal) felt |
| Nosotros / Nosotras sentimos | We felt |
| Vosotros / Vosotras sentisteis | You all felt |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes sintieron | They / You all (formal) felt |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.