---
title: "Sentir conjugation: all tenses with examples"
description: "Sentir in every French tense: je sens, j'ai senti, je sentirai, que je sente. Full tables, examples and TCF/TEF Canada tips."
canonical: https://francaisprep.com/french-conjugation/sentir
---

French conjugation

# Sentir conjugation

Sentir (“to feel, to smell”) in every tense you need, from the présent to the subjonctif, with example sentences and how it shows up in the TCF and TEF Canada.

[Take the free level test](/tools/french-level-test)[See the tables](#tables)

-   Every tense on one page
-   Tables generated from an open French lexicon
-   Notes for TCF and TEF candidates

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In short

Sentir (“to feel, to smell”) is an irregular verb of the third group. In the présent: je sens, tu sens, il/elle sent, nous sentons, vous sentez, ils/elles sentent. Its passé composé is formed with avoir and the past participle senti, and its futur simple is built on the stem sentir-.

## Sentir at a glance

Meaning

to feel, to smell

Type

Irregular verb (third group)

Auxiliary

avoir

Past participle

senti

Present participle

sentant

Future stem

sentir-

## Sentir in every tense

### Présent

Present

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

[When to use the présent](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Passé composé

Compound past

-   j'ai senti
-   tu as senti
-   il/elle a senti
-   nous avons senti
-   vous avez senti
-   ils/elles ont senti

[When to use the passé composé](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait)

### Imparfait

Imperfect

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

[When to use the imparfait](/blog/passe-compose-vs-imparfait)

### Futur simple

Simple future

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

[When to use the futur simple](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Conditionnel présent

Present conditional

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

[When to use the conditionnel présent](/blog/french-verb-tenses-for-tcf-tef)

### Subjonctif présent

Present subjunctive

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

[When to use the subjonctif présent](/blog/le-subjonctif)

### Impératif

Imperative

-   sens
-   sentons
-   sentez

### Passé simple (literary)

Simple past, used in written narrative

-   je sentis
-   tu sentis
-   il/elle sentit
-   nous sentîmes
-   vous sentîtes
-   ils/elles sentirent

### Participles

Present and past participles

-   Present participle: sentant
-   Past participle: senti, sentie, sentis, senties

TCF and TEF Canada

## How sentir shows up in the TCF and TEF

Sentir conjugates like partir but takes avoir. « Se sentir bien » or « se sentir chez soi » helps you describe your integration in Canada.

-   Je sens que je progresse en français. _I feel that I'm making progress in French._
-   Ça sent bon dans la cuisine. _It smells good in the kitchen._

## From conjugation tables to an exam score

Knowing the forms of sentir is the easy part. The TCF and TEF Canada mark whether you use the right tense, under time pressure, in your own sentences.

-   Check your level
    
    The [free French level test](/tools/french-level-test) tells you where you stand before you plan your preparation.
    
-   Prepare the exam
    
    The [TCF Canada course](/tcf-canada-course) works on grammar inside real writing and speaking tasks, with marked feedback.
    
-   Talk to a teacher
    
    [Book a free 15-minute call](/book) with Adèle to find out what to work on first.
    

Questions

## Sentir conjugation: questions

### How do you conjugate sentir in the present tense?

In the présent, sentir is: je sens, tu sens, il/elle sent, nous sentons, vous sentez, ils/elles sentent.

### What is the passé composé of sentir?

Sentir forms the passé composé with avoir and the past participle senti: j'ai senti, tu as senti, il/elle a senti, nous avons senti, vous avez senti, ils/elles ont senti.

### Is sentir conjugated with être or avoir?

Sentir takes avoir in the passé composé and the other compound tenses: j'ai senti.

### What is sentir in the futur simple?

The futur simple of sentir is built on the stem sentir-: je sentirai, tu sentiras, il/elle sentira, nous sentirons, vous sentirez, ils/elles sentiront.

### What is the imperfect of sentir?

The imparfait of sentir is: je sentais, tu sentais, il/elle sentait, nous sentions, vous sentiez, ils/elles sentaient.

### What is the subjunctive of sentir?

The subjonctif présent of sentir is: que je sente, que tu sentes, qu'il/elle sente, que nous sentions, que vous sentiez, qu'ils/elles sentent.

### What is sentir in the passé simple?

The passé simple is a literary tense you will read in narratives and biographies but rarely need to write. For sentir: je sentis, tu sentis, il/elle sentit, nous sentîmes, vous sentîtes, ils/elles sentirent.

### What is the imperative of sentir?

The impératif of sentir has three forms: sens, sentons, sentez (tu, nous and vous).

### What is the past participle of sentir?

The past participle of sentir is senti (feminine sentie, plural sentis, senties). Its present participle is sentant.

## More French verbs

-   [être](/french-conjugation/etre)
-   [avoir](/french-conjugation/avoir)
-   [aller](/french-conjugation/aller)
-   [faire](/french-conjugation/faire)
-   [dire](/french-conjugation/dire)
-   [pouvoir](/french-conjugation/pouvoir)
-   [vouloir](/french-conjugation/vouloir)
-   [devoir](/french-conjugation/devoir)

[All 64 verbs](/french-conjugation)

Conjugation tables are generated from the Lefff (Lexique des formes fléchies du français, Benoît Sagot, Inria), packaged as french-verbs-lefff@3.4.0 and distributed under the [LGPL-LR licence](https://www.labri.fr/perso/clement/lefff/licence-LGPLLR.html). Compound forms are built from its auxiliary and participle forms.

Next step

## Preparing for the TCF or TEF Canada?

Tell Adèle your exam date and where your French is today. She will tell you honestly what to work on first.

[Book a free call](/book)[See the course](/tcf-canada-course)

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