sentiste

Sentiste is the second-person singular preterite indicative form of the Spanish verb sentir. It translates to "you felt" or "you sensed" in English, and it is used to describe a completed past sensation, emotion, or perception attributed to the person addressed.

Sentir is irregular in the preterite. The full set of preterite forms is: yo sentí, tú sentiste, él/ella sintió, nosotros sentimos, vosotros sentisteis, ellos/ellas sintieron. In the tú form, sentiste retains the base sent- with the standard -iste ending, while the third-person forms shift to sintió and sintieron, reflecting a stem change in that part of the paradigm.

Etymology and background: sentir comes from the Latin word sentire, meaning to feel or perceive. In Spanish, its preterite forms show a combination of regular endings for -ir verbs and an irregular stem change in the third person. The verb covers both physical sensations (dolor, frío) and psychological states (alegría, miedo).

Usage notes: Sentiste is commonly used to report a past experience or reaction. It can refer to concrete sensations, such as a pain or temperature, as well as more abstract feelings like happiness or surprise. Examples include: “¿Qué sentiste cuando llegó la noticia?” and “Anoche sentiste un alivio al terminar el examen.” In many dialects of Spanish, the ustedes form uses the same preterite as the ellos form (sentisteis in Spain, sintieron in Latin America for ustedes).

See also: sentir, preterite tense, Spanish conjugation.