sentíasvssentirseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“sentías” and “sentirse” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#42,691
“sentías” frequency rank
#3,810
“sentirse” frequency rank
46501
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature sentías sentirse
Definition Segunda persona del singular (tú, vos) del pretérito imperfecto de indicativo de sentir. Estar en determinada forma o situación.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set sentías and sentirse apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
sentías
8 ch
sentirse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. sentías ([sẽn̪ˈt̪ias]) and sentirse ([sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾse]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46501, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

sentías is recorded at frequency rank #42,691, classified as averb, pronounced [sẽn̪ˈt̪ias]. sentirse is at rank #3,810, tagged as averb, pronounced [sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾse].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 46501, this pair ranks #125,355 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of sentías vs sentirse

Shared letters: enst. Private to "sentías": . Private to "sentirse": ir.

"sentías" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVVC  ·  "sentirse" · 8 letters · shape CVCCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • sentirsecentirce · esntirse · senitrse · senntirse · sentires · sentirrse · sentirsse · sentisre

Frequency comparison

sentías#42,691
sentirse#3,810

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "sentías" and "sentirse" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([sẽn̪ˈt̪ias] versus [sẽn̪ˈt̪iɾse]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "sentías" or "sentirse"?
"sentirse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,810 in our Spanish list, against #42,691 for "sentías". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering sentías vs sentirse

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “sentías” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list