Conjugating "Sentir" in French: A Complete Guide

The French verb "sentir" is a versatile and frequently used word that means both "to smell" and "to feel". As an irregular -ir verb, it can be tricky for French learners to conjugate correctly. This guide will walk you through the conjugation of "sentir" in all tenses and moods, providing you with the knowledge to use it confidently in your French conversations.

Before we dive into the specific conjugations, it's important to note that the same patterns apply to several other French verbs, including:

• mentir (to lie)
• sortir (to go out)
• partir (to leave)
• ressentir (to feel, to experience)
• consentir (to consent)

Learning these patterns will help you master not just "sentir", but a whole family of similar verbs.

Present Tense (Présent de l'Indicatif)

The present tense is one of the most commonly used forms of "sentir". Here's how to conjugate it:

• je sens
• tu sens
• il/elle/on sent
• nous sentons
• vous sentez
• ils/elles sentent

Notice that the stem changes in the singular forms, dropping the 't'. This is a key irregularity to remember.

Examples:

1. Je sens une odeur de pain frais. (I smell fresh bread.)
2. Tu sens la fatigue après cette longue journée ? (Do you feel tired after this long day?)
3. Elle sent que quelque chose ne va pas. (She feels that something is wrong.)

Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)

The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past. Here's the conjugation:

• je sentais
• tu sentais
• il/elle/on sentait
• nous sentions
• vous sentiez
• ils/elles sentaient

Examples:

1. Je sentais toujours l'odeur des fleurs dans le jardin. (I always smelled the scent of flowers in the garden.)
2. Nous sentions que c'était le bon moment pour partir. (We felt it was the right time to leave.)
3. Ils sentaient la tension monter pendant la réunion. (They felt the tension rising during the meeting.)

Future Tense (Futur Simple)

To talk about future actions or states, use the future tense:

• je sentirai
• tu sentiras
• il/elle/on sentira
• nous sentirons
• vous sentirez
• ils/elles sentiront

Examples:

1. Je sentirai mieux demain, j'espère. (I hope I'll feel better tomorrow.)
2. Tu sentiras la différence après quelques semaines d'entraînement. (You'll feel the difference after a few weeks of training.)
3. Nous sentirons probablement le changement de saison bientôt. (We'll probably feel the change of season soon.)

Conditional Mood (Conditionnel Présent)

The conditional is used to express hypothetical situations or polite requests:

• je sentirais
• tu sentirais
• il/elle/on sentirait
• nous sentirions
• vous sentiriez
• ils/elles sentiraient

Examples:

1. Je sentirais plus en sécurité si tu m'accompagnais. (I would feel safer if you accompanied me.)
2. Tu sentirais la différence si tu mangeais plus sainement. (You would feel the difference if you ate healthier.)
3. Ils sentiraient moins de stress s'ils s'organisaient mieux. (They would feel less stress if they organized themselves better.)

Subjunctive Mood (Subjonctif Présent)

The subjunctive is used to express doubt, emotion, or necessity:

• que je sente
• que tu sentes
• qu'il/elle/on sente
• que nous sentions
• que vous sentiez
• qu'ils/elles sentent

Examples:

1. Il faut que je sente le parfum avant de l'acheter. (I need to smell the perfume before buying it.)
2. Je doute que tu sentes la même chose que moi. (I doubt that you feel the same as I do.)
3. Il est important qu'ils sentent notre soutien. (It's important that they feel our support.)

Compound Tenses

For compound tenses like the passé composé (present perfect), plus-que-parfait (pluperfect), and futur antérieur (future perfect), "sentir" uses the auxiliary verb "avoir":

• Passé composé: j'ai senti, tu as senti, il/elle a senti, etc.
• Plus-que-parfait: j'avais senti, tu avais senti, il/elle avait senti, etc.
• Futur antérieur: j'aurai senti, tu auras senti, il/elle aura senti, etc.

Examples:

1. J'ai senti une secousse pendant le tremblement de terre. (I felt a tremor during the earthquake.)
2. Elle avait senti que quelque chose n'allait pas avant l'annonce. (She had felt that something was wrong before the announcement.)
3. Quand tu auras senti l'atmosphère du lieu, tu comprendras. (Once you have felt the atmosphere of the place, you'll understand.)

Tips for Mastering "Sentir" Conjugation

1. Practice the stem change: Remember that the 't' drops in je, tu, and il/elle/on forms in the present tense.
2. Learn the patterns: The conjugation patterns for "sentir" apply to many other -ir verbs, so mastering one helps with several others.
3. Use mnemonics: Create memory aids to remember irregular forms. For example, "Je sens, tu sens, il sent - no 't' at the end for me and you!"
4. Context is key: Practice using "sentir" in various contexts to understand its dual meaning of "to smell" and "to feel".

By regularly practicing these conjugations and using "sentir" in your French conversations, you'll gradually build confidence and fluency. Remember, mastering verb conjugations takes time, so be patient with yourself and keep practicing!

For more French learning resources and interactive exercises, visit us at leçon.ai. Happy learning!