sentir

Sentir is a French verb that means to perceive through the senses, most commonly to smell or to feel by touch, but it also covers emotional or intuitive perception. It can express physical sensation as well as a general sense that something is true or present, as in sentir une odeur or sentir que quelque chose ne va pas. The reflexive form se sentir expresses one’s own state, such as health or mood.

Conjugation and forms: In the present tense, the forms are je sens, tu sens, il/elle sent, nous sentons, vous sentez, ils sentent. The past participle is senti and is used with the auxiliary avoir in non-reflexive constructions (j’ai senti). With pronominal usage, as in se sentir, the auxiliary is être: je me suis senti(e). Other tenses include l’imparfait: je sentais, tu sentais, il sentait, nous sentions, vous sentiez, ils sentaient; le futur simple: sentirai, sentiras, sentira, sentirons, sentirez, sentiront; and the present subjunctive: que je sente, que tu sentes, qu’il sente, que nous sentions, que vous sentiez, qu’ils sentent. The participe present is sentant.

Etymology: sentir derives from the Latin sentire “to feel, perceive,” related to the words sense and sensation in many Romance languages.

Usage notes: Sentir is versatile and context-dependent. With a direct object, it can mean to smell (J’ai senti le pain) or to sense something (Je le sens venir). With se sentir, it describes one’s condition or feelings (Je me sens bien, Je me sens mal). Its interpretation shifts with adverbs, objects, and the surrounding discourse.