The verb sentir and its reflexive form se sentir are used in a broad sense to express physical or emotional feelings (e.g. to smell good / to feel good).
Using "sentir" and "se sentir" in French
- sentir bon / mauvais (physical)
This means to smell good / bad.
Note that, in the specific case of sentir, even though bon and mauvais are adjectives, these are fixed expressions, so bon and mauvais NEVER change (no agreement).
- se sentir bien / mal / mieux ... (emotional)
(literally to feel oneself) It means to feel good / well / fine / bad / better.
In this context, se sentir is identical in meaning to aller. See Expressing how you are with aller (Greetings in French).
e.g. Je vais bien. / Je me sens bien.
Se sentir can also be used with adjectives to express someone's impression of how they are, how they feel.
See also Describing senses with "sentir" - The different meanings of the verb "sentir" in French
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
Zoë feels unwell today.
