More about Senitr
I think the person rather missed the point. I wasn't looking for a synonym for tocar!
Note, however, Lo siento que tengas fiebre clearly means "I'm sorry you have a fever" because the "tengas" means that emotion is being expressed. On the other hand "Cuando te toco en la frente, siento que tienes fiebre," clearly means I feel you have a fever" because it is referring to the sensory perception (rather than the emotion) and therefore does not call for the subjunctive in the dependent clause.
And maybe that's the answer: "sentir que" calls for subjunctive in the dependent clause when one is sorry for what's going on in the dependent clause and indicative when one is sensing (without evaluating) what is going on in the dependent clause?
Thus, "lo siento" standing alone is going to mean EITHER "I sense it" or "I'm sorry about it" depending on what the "it" is. "
"Do you think it's going to rain?" -> "Si, Lo siento." = Yes, I feel it.
"He's dead, Jim." -> "Lo siento." = I'm sorry.
4 Answers
The difference between feeling something and being sorry is not determined by the use of subjunctive. We can say "Lo siento (lamento) que tienes/tengas fiebre" and they both mean the same but with a difference in nuance that is very slight and non-existant in English.
The difference is determined by lo .
Siento que tienes fiebre ..... I feel (percieve) that you have a fever.
Lo siento que tienes fiebre .... I am sorry that you have a fever.
"Do you think it's going to rain?" -> "Si, Lo siento." = Yes, I feel it.
Or this could also mean: "Yes I´m sorry (that it´s going to rain)." For "Lo siento" as a stand-alone phrase to be completely understood, context must be provided. If we don´t choose to provide context, we normally use creer/pensar to indicate perception and thus, confusion is avoided.
I think your explanations above are all spot on, though natives may of course differ.
One subtle thing worth noting. Cuando takes subjunctive for single event in the future. For the past. or repetiive events, such as: Whenever X, then Y, cuando will be followed by the indicative (neither the past, nor the when-if are in doubt, so the subjunctive is not called for). This is really why you are seeing and needing indicative in your above scenario, not perse that it is about the act of physical sensing or feeling.
Escribiría más, pero acabo de regresar a mi casa y salir del frio y apenas puedo sentirme los dedos.
Para evitar a la confusión puede utilizar ' tomar la temperatura' ,' reconocer' o 'percibir':
Les “tomo” la temperatura con la mano o los labios,o, reconocer si el niño tiene fiebre por el tacto, o percibir que tienen fiebre tocándolos.
Take their temperature with your hand,or your lips, or recognize if the child has a temperature by touch, or feel if they have a temperature( fever) by touching them.
Or else just get a thermometer, it's more accurate.
How does one make a distinction in Spanish between the two following sentences? I am sorry you have a fever. I feel you have a fever (because I am touching your forehead). The machine translations give me the following for both sentences: Siento que tengas fiebre. Might one say, in the case of the 2nd sentence: Puedo sentir que tienes (tengas??) fiebre? And this would imply that I am using my own sense of touch? Muchas gracias por la ayuda.
I missed the point at first of your original post (above), my apologies. I think what you were originally asking was how to differentiate between simply saying "I'm sorry you have a fever", and saying something like "I sense that you have a fever by touching your forehead and feeling your elevated temperature (through my sense of touch).
Apparently the two phrases translated the same and obviously they are different. If there is a special way to describe the "sensory perception of touch" in Spanish, I'm not aware of it. In English if you say touch, see, hear, etc., you are describing or stating each of the senses, so it's implied I guess. Hopefully someone can clarify if this was indeed the question.
