Se Sentir Conjugation French: The Ultimate Guide & Verb Tables

Se Sentir Conjugation French: The Complete Guide and Tense Charts

The verb se sentir (to feel) is an essential reflexive verb in French. Whether you want to say "I feel happy," ask a friend "How are you feeling?", or express that you felt overwhelmed yesterday, se sentir is the verb you need.

Because it is a reflexive 3rd-group irregular verb, learners often stumble over its spelling changes, pronunciation, and agreement in compound tenses. This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to master the French conjugation of se sentir.

1. "Sentir" vs. "Se Sentir": What is the Difference?

Understanding the distinction between the transitive verb sentir and the reflexive verb se sentir prevents common communication mix-ups:

• Sentir + noun: Means "to smell" (Je sens une bonne odeur) or "to sense/feel physically externally" (Je sens la pluie).
• Se sentir + adjective/adverb: Means "to feel" in terms of physical condition or emotional well-being (Je me sens malade, Elle se sent bien).

Remember: always include the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous, se) when speaking about personal feelings or emotional states.

2. Present Tense (Présent de l'indicatif)

Se sentir is an irregular third-group verb. In the singular forms (je, tu, il), the stem loses the final 't' of sent-, becoming sens / sent.

Usage note: Notice that sens and sent sound identical. However, in plural forms (sentons, sentez, sentent), the 't' sound resurfaces clearly.

3. Past Tense (Passé Composé) & Past Participle Agreement

In French, all reflexive verbs take être in compound tenses such as the passé composé.

Because the reflexive pronoun functions as a direct object (you feel yourself to be in a given state), the past participle senti must agree in gender (add -e) and number (add -s) with the subject:

• Je me suis senti(e) – I felt
• Tu t'es senti(e) – You felt
• Il s'est senti – He felt
• Elle s'est sentie – She felt
• Nous nous sommes senti(e)s – We felt
• Vous vous êtes senti(e)(s) – You felt
• Ils se sont sentis – They felt (masc.)
• Elles se sont senties – They felt (fem.)

• Hier, elle s'est sentie très fatiguée. (Yesterday, she felt very tired.)

Example:

---

4. Other Essential Tenses

Imperfect (Imparfait)

Use the imperfect to describe ongoing emotional states or recurring feelings in the past:

• Je me sentais
• Tu te sentais
• Il/Elle se sentait
• Nous nous sentions
• Vous vous sentiez
• Ils/Elles se sentaient

Example: Quand j'étais enfant, je me sentais toujours en sécurité. (When I was a child, I always felt safe.)

Future Simple (Futur simple)

Built on the complete infinitive root sentir-:

• Je me sentirai
• Tu te sentiras
• Il/Elle se sentira
• Nous nous sentirons
• Vous vous sentirez
• Ils/Elles se sentiront

Present Conditional (Conditionnel présent)

Used for hypothetical feelings or polite requests:

• Je me sentirais
• Tu te sentirais
• Il/Elle se sentirait
• Nous nous sentirions
• Vous vous sentiriez
• Ils/Elles se sentiraient

---

5. Subjunctive and Imperative

Subjunctive Present (Subjonctif présent)

Required after verbs of necessity, emotion, or desire (Il faut que..., Je veux que...):

• Que je me sente
• Que tu te sentes
• Qu'il/elle se sente
• Que nous nous sentions
• Que vous vous sentiez
• Qu'ils/elles se sentent

Imperative (Impératif)

For encouraging someone or giving commands:

• Sens-toi libre d'appeler ! (Feel free to call!)
• Sentons-nous fiers de nos progrès. (Let's feel proud of our progress.)
• Sentez-vous comme chez vous ! (Make yourself at home! / Feel at home!)

Mastering se sentir unlocks genuine, natural conversations about how you and others feel every day.