Language/French/Vocabulary/Differences-between-Sentir-Se-Sentir-et-Ressentir
"Sentir", "Se Sentir" & "Ressentir"?
Bonjour !, French Learners! 😃
In today's lesson, we will learn how to make the difference between the 3 verbs "Sentir", "Se Sentir" et "Ressentir" in French.
Those verbs are special because they all look the same in French and they have the same English translation.
However, the way to use the three verbs "Sentir", "Se Sentir" et "Ressentir" are quite different:
Happy learning!
Sentir
"Sentir" is often an external sensation.
It expresses the fact of smalling an odor or having a feeling that possesses us.
- Je sens une odeur de parfum, je sens une fumée.
I smell perfume, I smell smoke.
- Je sens une odeur de pain.
I smell bread.
It also expresses a feeling that possesses us.
- Je sens la peur s'emparer de moi, je sens que je change
I feel fear taking hold of me, I feel I'm changing
You can also add "que" to add a proposition:
- Je sens que ça va mal finir.
I have a feeling this is going to end badly.
- Je sens que tu ne va pas très bien.
I feel that you are not doing very well.
Se sentir
"Se sentir" expresses a state of mind and is associated with an emotion like in the examples below:
For example:
- Je me sens bien.
I feel good.
- Je me sens mal.
I feel bad.
- Je me sens heureuse.
I feel happy.
- Je me sens triste.
I feel sad.
- Je me sens fatigué.
I feel tired.
- Je ne me sens pas très à l'aise.
I don't feel very comfortable.
Ressentir
"Ressentir" is when you insist on something stronger or inner. It expresses an overwhelming feeling.
- Je ressens de la peur
I feel fear
- Je ressens que tu me manques
I feel I miss you
- Je ressens une grande tristesse.
I feel great sadness.
- Je ressens une douleur dans le bas du dos.
I feel pain in my lower back.
Attention: "Ressentir" can also mean to repeat the action of "sentir". "sentir" another time.
I hope it's clear enough because it's a pretty instinctive notion for native French speakers and sometimes hard to explain to learners.