Sentir Se sentir Ressentir are similar but are used in very different ways. They have the same conjugation, but that doesn’t mean that they are synonyms. Each one of them is used to explain a different feeling or sensation.
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Sentir explains a physical effect, such as a touch or a smell, but it can also be translated to To sense.
It’s usually followed by
Ça sent bon ici.
It smells good here.
Elle aime sentir l’odeur de la pluie.
She likes to smell the smell of rain.
On sent que ce tissu est de bonne qualité.
We feel that this fabric is of good quality.
Je sens qu’elle a des boutons sous la peau.
I feel that she has pimples under her skin.
Je sens que cela va mal finir.
I have a feeling this is going to end badly.
On pouvait sentir la tension entre eux.
You could feel the tension between them.
Se sentir is a reflexive verb and is used to talk about internal feelings a person can have.
Se sentir is usually followed by an adjective or an adverb.
Je me sens mieux depuis que j’ai mangé.
I feel better since I ate.
Comment est-ce que tu te sens ?
How do you feel?
Elle se sentait nerveuse avant de passer son permis de conduire.
She felt nervous before taking her driver’s license.
Ressentir could be understood as feeling again, but it’s not quite that. Ressentir is all about perceptions, about deep feelings. It’s also used to insist on something strong. It’s usually followed by an object = ressentir quelque chose.
J’ai ressenti beaucoup de peine après notre dispute.
I felt a lot of sadness after our fight.
Il a ressenti une douleur intense dans le pied.
He felt severe pain in his foot.
Qu’est-ce que tu ressens ?
What do you feel?
In the next tables, we will look at the conjugation of sentir, se sentir, ressentir starting with the present tense, followed by the passé composé, the imparfait, the future and the conditional.
I hope you now understand better how to use sentir, se sentir, and ressentir in French. Keep practicing and don’t hesitate to leave a comment with an example to try. I will correct you if you want me to.
If you prefer to watch a video lesson, you can watch this video.
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6 Responses
Thanks for such a good lesson on Sontir.
merci Mike 🙂
Je suis prof de français et j’avais du mal à expliquer cette difference. Vous avez parfaitement reussi. Merci beaucoup.
Merci Christi 🙂
Merci Dylane. Pour expliquer l’usage de “ressentir”, je me demande si c’est similaire au verbe “to experience” en anglais? Par exemple: Après la fausse couche, elle ressentais une tristesse immense .
Oui Judith, cela fonctionne de la même façon 🙂