sentano

Sentano is the third person plural present subjunctive form of the Italian verb sentire, meaning to hear or to feel. It appears in subordinate clauses where the speaker expresses doubt, possibility, emotion, desire, judgment, or a nuanced degree of subjectivity, and it typically follows the conjunction che in standard Italian.

In forming the present subjunctive for sentire, the endings are aligned with other -ire verbs in the subjunctive: che io senta, che tu senta, che lui/lei senta, che noi sentiamo, che voi sentiate, che loro sentano. Thus, sentano is used specifically for “they” in the present subjunctive. It contrasts with the present indicative loro sentono and with other moods such as the subjunctive imperfect or the indicative in different contexts.

Common uses include expressions of possibility or doubt: È possibile che loro sentano qualcosa. Emotional or evaluative statements: Temo che sentano la mancanza di qualcosa. Verbal or cognitive judgments: Penso che sentano che qualcosa non va. It can also appear after verbs of perception in subordinate clauses, though Italian often uses other constructions depending on register and region.

In contemporary colloquial Italian, the subjunctive mood, including sentano, is less consistently used in everyday speech, with some speakers preferring the indicative after che in informal contexts. In formal writing and standard Italian, however, the congiuntivo presente remains the correct mood for such subordinate clauses.

See also: congiuntivo presente, sentire, Italian verbs.