sentiti

Sentiti is an Italian verb form used as the reflexive imperative of the verb sentire, meaning to feel or to hear. It translates roughly as “feel yourself” or “be sure to feel” and is employed to address someone directly in informal speech, encouraging them to adopt a certain state or reaction.

Grammatical background and form: Sentire is a first-conjugation verb in other respects, with the imperative mood for the second person singular appearing as senti. When paired with the reflexive pronoun -ti, the form becomes sentiti, yielding commands such as “feel yourself.” The reflexive construction can be extended with adjectives or prepositional phrases to convey specific meanings, for example: Sentiti bene (feel good), Sentiti a casa (make yourself at home), Sentiti libero di chiedere (feel free to ask).

Usage and nuance: The imperative sentiti is commonly used in everyday conversation, advertising, and informal writing to invite personal perception, comfort, or autonomy. It often carries a warm or encouraging tone, and it can be contrasted with non-reflexive forms such as senti (you feel/hear) or sentite (you all feel/hear). It should be understood as part of a broader set of reflexive imperatives in Italian, where the verb governs the listener’s own experience.

See also: Sentire; Italian imperative mood; Reflexive verbs in Italian.