sentir vs se sentir

What is the difference between the French verbs “sentir” and “se sentir”? They both mean “to feel” in English, although “sentir” can also mean “to smell.” So how are they different from each other and how should each one be used?

  1. “Sentir”:
    • This verb means “to feel” or “to smell” in English.
    • It’s used to talk about physical sensations or perceptions, like smelling, tasting, or touching something.
    • For example: “Je sens les fleurs” (I smell the flowers), or “Elle sent la pluie” (She feels the rain).
  2. “Se sentir”:
    • This one means “to feel” in the sense of emotions or states of being.
    • It’s used when talking about how someone feels emotionally or physically.
    • For example: “Je me sens heureux” (I feel happy), or “Il se sent fatigué” (He feels tired).
    • Notice the reflexive pronoun “se” before the verb. That’s the key difference between “sentir” and “se sentir”. “Se sentir” is reflexive, meaning it refers back to the subject.

In short, “sentir” is for physical sensations like smell or touch, while “se sentir” is for emotions and states of being. Remembering this difference will help you use these verbs correctly in French!

Don’t miss new articles!

Get 1 email a week with new articles about French

We don’t spam! Read more in our privacy policy

Similar Posts

  • |

    singing

    How do you talk about singing in French? There are a few words – some verbs, some nouns. The verb “to sing,” which is “chanter.” The noun “a song,” which is “une chanson.” And the noun “the singing,” which is “le chant.” There is another verb “entonner,” which means “to start singing,” or “to launch…

  • guérir

    The French verb “guérir” means “to heal,” “to cure,” “to recover” or “to cure oneself.” It can be used in three different ways: transitively, intransitively and reflexively. Let’s see what that means below. Transitive Used transitively, “guérir” means “to cure” someone of something. Transitive means that the verb “guérir” will have a direct object, which…

  • franchir

    The French verb franchir means “to cross,” “to overcome,” or “to break through.” It is often used in both literal and figurative contexts and appears frequently in formal and journalistic French. It is a regular verb of the second group, conjugated like finir, choisir or réussir. Etymology Franchir comes from the Old French franchir (12th…

  • Numbers

    A list of cardinal numbers in French (eg 1, 2, 3) and how to use them. 0 = zéro [ZAY ROH]1 = un [UNH] (“une” if counting feminine nouns)2 = deux [DER]3 = trois [TRWAH]4  = quatre [KAH TRER]5 = cinq [SANK]6 = six [SEESS]7 = sept [SET]8 = huit [UWEET]9 = neuf [NERF]10 =…

  • être mal barré

    The French saying “être mal barré” means “to get off to a bad start,” “to be heading for failure,” or “to get into big trouble.” Literally it translates as “to be badly steered” or “to be badly guided,” in the nautical sense of steering or guiding. “La barre” is the tiller or the helm of…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *