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When do we use sentir vs sentirse?

When do we use sentir vs sentirse?

4
votes

Cuando uso "me siento" en lugar de "siento"? Me siento confudido! o quizas...Siento confundido?

24609 views
updated Jul 31, 2011
posted by nicohop66

4 Answers

7
votes

I feel confused, sick, hot, cold, sad, happy... = Me siento confundido, enfermo, caliente, frío, triste, alegre

I feel confusion, heat, cold, sadness, happiness, lots of things, ...= Siento confusión, calor, frío, tristeza, alegría, muchas cosas...

updated Jul 31, 2011
posted by StephenTrevor
Possibly an easy way to explain: Me siento + adjective / Siento + noun - 005faa61, Jul 31, 2011
4
votes

Now that I see Lazarus has posted above, please consider his opinion as both the easiest to understand and definitely the most authoritativeexcaim

Me siento confudido!

Is correct, because you are using the word "reflexively," i.e., to reflect back on the subject of the sentence (yourself).

Lo siento.

Means "I am sorry" [or "I apologize."]. You are feeling sorry, but not for yourself! You are sorry about some offense you committed, hence the "Lo" represents what you are sorry about [or the offense you committed].

If you wrote simply "Me siento," you would be feeling the offense for yourself, i.e., you would be the one who felt offended!

Actually, there are two verbs in Spanish for "feel." The one I wrote about above is the reflexive one and is "sentirse." You can always tell when a verb is reflexive if it has an SE attached to the end!

The other verb, sentir can be used for when you are talking about what you sense external to yourself. For example: say you are looking at a starving dog and sympathize with him, you might say; "Siento que hambre." [I feel that hunger.].

Here's where you can read about the verb "sentir" in SpanishDict's awesome dictionary.

updated Jul 31, 2011
edited by territurtle
posted by territurtle
4
votes

Me siento... -> how you feel (adjective or adverb)

Siento... -> what you feel (noun)

updated Jul 31, 2011
posted by lazarus1907
Actually, now that I see Lazarus has posted, you can always use his post as the most authoritative opinion!! - territurtle, Jul 31, 2011
1
vote

Is this correct??

I feel the sandness all over the place, I really feel sad about that.

Siento la tristeza por todo el lugar, de verdad me sineto triste sobre ése.

updated Jul 31, 2011
posted by SpanishPal
Looks right to me! Let's see what a native speaker says ... - territurtle, Jul 31, 2011