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Sentir, ressentir or se sentir: smell something, feel something, feel tired

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Use sentir for smells and perception, ressentir with a feeling or sensation, and se sentir with an adjective. Practise three short exchanges.

In short

Use sentir for smells and perception: Je sens une odeur de café. Use ressentir + noun for an experienced sensation or feeling: Je ressens du soulagement. Use se sentir + adjective for your state: Je me sens fatigué.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A person enjoying the aroma of fresh coffee at a French kitchen window, gentle breeze in the curtain.
Morning coffee gives context to sentir une odeur de café. Illustration: Atelier

sentirto smell / sense / feel

Focus: What you perceive, or what gives off a smell.

Je sens une odeur de café.
I can smell coffee.

Le café sent bon.
The coffee smells good.

Je sens le vent sur mon visage.
I feel the wind on my face.

ressentirto experience / feel

Focus: The sensation or feeling, named by a noun.

Je ressens de la fatigue.
I feel tired.

Elle ressent une grande joie.
She feels great joy.

se sentirto feel

Focus: Your state, often described by an adjective.

Elle se sent fatiguée.
She feels tired.

Nous nous sentons prêts.
We feel ready.

What can you smell?

1

In the kitchen: a smell

YouTu sens cette odeur de café ?Can you smell that coffee?
Your conversation partnerOui, ça sent très bon !Yes, it smells lovely!
2

After receiving an answer: an emotion

YouJ’ai enfin reçu une réponse. Je ressens un grand soulagement.I’ve finally received an answer. I feel very relieved.
Your conversation partnerJe comprends. Tu attendais depuis longtemps.I understand. You had been waiting a long time.
3

At the end of the day: a state

Your conversation partnerComment tu te sens ce soir ?How do you feel this evening?
YouJe me sens fatiguée, mais contente.I feel tired, but happy.The speaker is a woman: fatiguée, contente.

Sentir and ressentir overlap for physical sensations: Je sens le froid and Je ressens le froid both work. The useful contrast is the whole pattern. Compare Je ressens de la fatigue with Je me sens fatigué. After ressentir, name the feeling; after se sentir, describe the person.

Present forms: the same verb family
Subjectsentirressentir
jesensressens
tusensressens
il / ellesentressent
noussentonsressentons
voussentezressentez
ils / ellessententressentent
Question 1No account needed
Complete the adjective pattern.Je ___ fatiguée.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

me sens. Se sentir takes the adjective fatiguée here. The reflexive pronoun is me.

Question 2No account needed
Which sentence says the coffee gives off a pleasant smell?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Le café sent bon.. The coffee is the source of the smell in Le café sent bon.

Question 3No account needed
Complete the noun pattern.Elle ___ du soulagement.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

ressent. Ressentir takes the named feeling directly: ressentir du soulagement.

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