Sentir is one of the most semantically loaded verbs in French — and one of the easiest for English speakers to get wrong. It covers what English splits into at least four verbs: to smell (perceive an odor), to smell of (give off an odor), to feel (physical sensation), and to sense (intuit, anticipate). Its reflexive form se sentir is the default verb for talking about one's overall physical or emotional state ("I feel good / sick / tired"). And in the past-participle perception-verb construction, it generates the much-used je l'ai senti venir ("I saw it coming").
Sentir belongs to the partir family of irregular -ir verbs (3e groupe): same conjugation as partir, sortir, dormir, mentir, servir. It takes avoir in compound tenses. This page is the full reference: every paradigm, the four core meanings, the contrasts with ressentir and toucher, and the famous ça sent bon / ça sent mauvais construction.
The conjugation pattern
Same shape as the rest of the partir family: drop the t in the singular present (je sens, no t), restore it in the plural (nous sentons).
Présent de l'indicatif
| Person | Form | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| je | sens | /sɑ̃/ |
| tu | sens | /sɑ̃/ |
| il / elle / on | sent | /sɑ̃/ |
| nous | sentons | /sɑ̃.tɔ̃/ |
| vous | sentez | /sɑ̃.te/ |
| ils / elles | sentent | /sɑ̃t/ |
The three singular forms are pronounced identically — /sɑ̃/. The t is silent in singular, audible in the plural where it sits between vowels.
Tu sens cette odeur ? On dirait du brûlé.
Do you smell that? It smells burnt.
Ça sent bon dans la cuisine — qu'est-ce que tu prépares ?
It smells good in the kitchen — what are you cooking?
Je sens un courant d'air, ferme la fenêtre s'il te plaît.
I feel a draft, please close the window.
Imparfait
Built on the nous stem sent- + regular endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | sentais |
| tu | sentais |
| il / elle / on | sentait |
| nous | sentions |
| vous | sentiez |
| ils / elles | sentaient |
The imparfait is the natural tense for ongoing perception in the past — je sentais, "I could feel / I was smelling," is exactly what English expresses with the past progressive.
L'appartement sentait le café et les croissants.
The apartment smelled of coffee and croissants.
Je sentais qu'il me cachait quelque chose.
I could tell he was hiding something from me.
On sentait monter la tension dans la salle.
You could feel the tension rising in the room.
Passé simple (literary)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | sentis |
| tu | sentis |
| il / elle / on | sentit |
| nous | sentîmes |
| vous | sentîtes |
| ils / elles | sentirent |
Note the circumflex on sentîmes and sentîtes — required.
Il sentit une main se poser sur son épaule.
He felt a hand land on his shoulder. (literary)
Futur simple
The futur stem is the full infinitive sentir-. Standard endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | sentirai |
| tu | sentiras |
| il / elle / on | sentira |
| nous | sentirons |
| vous | sentirez |
| ils / elles | sentiront |
Tu te sentiras mieux après une bonne nuit de sommeil.
You'll feel better after a good night's sleep.
On sentira la différence dès la première utilisation.
You'll feel the difference from the first use.
Conditionnel présent
Same stem, with imparfait endings.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | sentirais |
| tu | sentirais |
| il / elle / on | sentirait |
| nous | sentirions |
| vous | sentiriez |
| ils / elles | sentiraient |
Je me sentirais mal de partir sans la prévenir.
I'd feel bad leaving without telling her.
Subjonctif présent
Stem sent- (from ils sentent without -ent).
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (que) je | sente |
| (que) tu | sentes |
| (qu')il / elle / on | sente |
| (que) nous | sentions |
| (que) vous | sentiez |
| (qu')ils / elles | sentent |
Il faut qu'il sente qu'on est là pour lui.
He needs to feel we're there for him.
Je veux que tu te sentes chez toi ici.
I want you to feel at home here.
Impératif
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| (tu) | sens |
| (nous) | sentons |
| (vous) | sentez |
Sens cette fleur, elle a un parfum incroyable.
Smell this flower, it has an incredible scent.
Sentez la qualité du tissu.
Feel the quality of the fabric.
Participles and gérondif
- Participe passé: senti — feminine sentie, plural sentis / senties. Agrees with a preceding direct object when used transitively.
- Participe présent: sentant
- Gérondif: en sentant
J'ai dit oui en sentant que c'était la bonne décision.
I said yes feeling that it was the right decision.
L'odeur sentie ce matin n'était pas du gaz, finalement.
The smell I noticed this morning wasn't gas after all.
Compound tenses (with avoir)
Sentir takes avoir in all compound tenses. When transitive (with a direct object), the participle agrees with a preceding direct object — standard avoir agreement rule.
Passé composé
avoir (présent) + senti
J'ai senti une douleur dans le dos en me levant.
I felt a pain in my back when I got up.
On a tout de suite senti que quelque chose n'allait pas.
We immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Tu l'as senti venir, ce coup ?
Did you see that one coming?
Plus-que-parfait
avoir (imparfait) + senti
J'avais senti le piège dès le premier jour.
I had sensed the trap from day one.
Futur antérieur
avoir (futur) + senti
Quand tu auras senti l'odeur, tu comprendras ce que je veux dire.
Once you've smelled it, you'll understand what I mean.
Conditionnel passé
avoir (conditionnel) + senti
Tu n'aurais pas senti la différence, je te jure.
You wouldn't have noticed the difference, I swear.
The four core meanings
1. Sentir + direct object — to smell (perceive an odor)
The transitive use: someone smells something. The smelling is active perception.
Sens ce parfum, il est sublime.
Smell this perfume, it's gorgeous.
Le chien a senti une trace et est parti en courant.
The dog picked up a scent and ran off.
Je ne sens plus rien depuis que j'ai eu le Covid.
I haven't been able to smell anything since I had Covid.
2. Sentir + adverb / (le) + noun — to smell of, to give off an odor
This is the construction English handles with "smells [adjective]" or "smells of/like [noun]." French uses bare bon / mauvais (no bien / mal) with sentir.
Ça sent bon ici !
It smells good in here!
Cette fromagerie sent fort.
This cheese shop has a strong smell.
Tu sens le tabac, tu as encore fumé ?
You smell of tobacco — have you been smoking again?
Le linge sent la lavande.
The laundry smells of lavender.
3. Sentir — to feel (physical sensation)
Distinct from emotional feeling. Sentir is for physical sensations passing through the body: drafts, pain, temperature, touch.
Tu sens le vent ?
Can you feel the wind?
Je sens mes jambes trembler.
I can feel my legs shaking.
Il a senti une main se poser sur son épaule.
He felt a hand land on his shoulder.
4. Sentir que — to sense, intuit
For intuition, hunches, gut feelings about events or other people's states.
Je sens qu'il se passe quelque chose de bizarre.
I sense that something strange is going on.
On sentait qu'elle n'allait pas bien.
You could tell she wasn't doing well.
J'ai senti tout de suite qu'on allait s'entendre.
I knew right away we were going to get along.
Se sentir — to feel (one's state)
The reflexive se sentir is the default verb for talking about how you feel — physically or emotionally. It is not optional: in French, "I feel good" cannot be je sens bien (which would mean either nothing or the unfinished "I smell well"). The reflexive marker me / te / se is mandatory.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| je | me sens |
| tu | te sens |
| il / elle / on | se sent |
| nous | nous sentons |
| vous | vous sentez |
| ils / elles | se sentent |
Se sentir is pronominal — in compound tenses it takes être, with participle agreement (elle s'est sentie).
Je me sens bien, merci.
I feel good, thanks.
Tu te sens comment ce matin ?
How are you feeling this morning?
Elle s'est sentie mal au milieu du dîner.
She started feeling unwell in the middle of dinner.
On ne se sent pas chez nous dans cet appartement.
We don't feel at home in this apartment.
Sentir vs ressentir vs toucher — the three "feel" verbs
For English speakers, the verb "feel" maps to at least three French verbs depending on what kind of feeling.
| French verb | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sentir | physical sensation, intuition | je sens un courant d'air |
| se sentir | one's overall state | je me sens bien |
| ressentir | deeper emotional or moral feeling | je ressens de la tristesse |
| toucher | physical contact (active touch) | ne touche pas ! |
Ressentir implies a deeper, more reflective emotional experience — it is the verb of psychological introspection. Sentir is more immediate, more physical, more intuitive. Toucher is the act of touching with one's hand, not the sensation of contact.
Je sens qu'il est en colère, mais je ressens de la pitié pour lui.
I sense he's angry, but I feel pity for him.
J'ai ressenti une grande joie en apprenant la nouvelle.
I felt great joy on hearing the news.
For the full breakdown, see the dedicated page Sentir vs Ressentir vs Toucher.
High-frequency idioms
- ça sent le brûlé — it smells burnt (literally) / something's wrong (figurative)
- ça sent le sapin — that smells like pine (= death is coming; pine is the wood of coffins)
- ça ne sent pas bon — that doesn't bode well (figurative)
- ne pas pouvoir sentir quelqu'un — to be unable to stand someone (literally "can't smell")
- sentir le vent tourner — to sense which way the wind is blowing
- sentir venir le coup — to see something coming, anticipate
- ça sent à plein nez — it smells (something) a mile away
- je le sentais ! — I knew it! / I could tell!
Ça sent le brûlé — tu n'aurais pas oublié quelque chose au four ?
It smells burnt — did you forget something in the oven?
Je ne peux pas sentir mon nouveau collègue, il est insupportable.
I can't stand my new colleague, he's unbearable.
J'ai senti le coup venir dès qu'il a commencé à hésiter.
I saw it coming the moment he started hesitating.
Ça ne sent pas bon, cette histoire.
This whole thing doesn't smell right.
Compounds: ressentir, pressentir, consentir
Ressentir — to feel deeply (emotion, pain, impact)
Same conjugation as sentir, prefixed with re-. Ressentir is the verb for psychological / emotional experience. The action is reflexive in the experiencer — you "re-feel" something inside.
Elle ressent encore la douleur de la perte.
She still feels the pain of the loss.
Je ressens beaucoup d'admiration pour son travail.
I have great admiration for her work.
Pressentir — to sense in advance, have a premonition
Same conjugation as sentir. Pressentir is to foresee, anticipate, sense before it happens.
J'ai pressenti dès le début que ça allait mal finir.
I had a feeling from the start that it would end badly.
Elle pressent les difficultés bien avant les autres.
She senses problems well before anyone else does.
Consentir — to consent, agree
Same conjugation. Consentir à + noun/infinitive = consent to something.
Il a consenti à tous nos sacrifices.
He agreed to all our sacrifices.
Je ne consens pas à signer dans ces conditions.
I do not consent to signing under these conditions.
Comparison with English
Three friction points:
English "feel" maps to four French verbs. Don't reach automatically for sentir — pick se sentir for one's state, sentir for physical sensation, ressentir for deep emotion, toucher for active contact.
English "smells good / bad" uses bon / mauvais, not bien / mal. Ça sent bon is the only correct form. Ça sent bien is a textbook error.
English "I feel that..." (= I sense that) maps to je sens que, not je me sens que. The reflexive is for one's state, not for embedded clauses of intuition.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Saying je sens bien for "I feel good."
❌ Je sens bien aujourd'hui.
Wrong — for one's state, French requires reflexive se sentir.
✅ Je me sens bien aujourd'hui.
I feel good today.
Mistake 2: Using bien / mal with sentir for smell.
❌ Ça sent bien dans la cuisine.
Wrong adverb — sentir takes bon / mauvais, not bien / mal.
✅ Ça sent bon dans la cuisine.
It smells good in the kitchen.
Mistake 3: Using ressentir for physical sensation or for one's overall state.
❌ Je ressens bien aujourd'hui.
Wrong verb — ressentir is for deep emotional feeling, not state.
✅ Je me sens bien aujourd'hui.
I feel good today.
Mistake 4: Forgetting consonant alternation in singular vs plural present.
❌ Je sents le café.
Wrong — singular drops the t: je sens.
✅ Je sens le café.
I smell the coffee.
Mistake 5: Using avoir with se sentir in compound tenses.
❌ Elle a senti mal au dîner.
If meaning 'she felt unwell,' this is wrong — pronominal verbs take être.
✅ Elle s'est sentie mal au dîner.
She felt unwell at dinner.
Key takeaways
Sentir covers four meanings English splits into different verbs: smell (perceive odor), smell of (give off odor — ça sent bon), feel (physical sensation), and sense (intuit). It conjugates exactly like partir, sortir, dormir, mentir, servir — the partir family.
Auxiliary in compound tenses: avoir, with regular agreement on a preceding direct object.
The reflexive se sentir is the mandatory verb for one's overall state — je me sens bien / mal / fatigué. As a pronominal verb, se sentir takes être and the participle agrees with the subject (elle s'est sentie mal).
Adverbs after sentir for smell are bon / mauvais (not bien / mal). The compound ressentir is for deep emotional feeling, pressentir for premonitions, consentir for consent. For the full triadic distinction (sentir / ressentir / toucher), see the dedicated Sentir vs Ressentir vs Toucher page.
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