If you’ve ever been confused by sento, mi sento and the mysterious me la sento, you’re not alone! They come from the same verb, they pop up constantly in everyday Italian, and they rarely translate word for word into English. Let’s break them down.
In short
- Sento (sentire) = I hear, I feel, I smell: Sento un rumore.
- Mi sento (sentirsi) = I feel, physically or emotionally: Mi sento stanca.
- Me la sento (sentirsela) = I feel up to it, I have the courage: Non me la sento di guidare.
- Ci sentiamo! = Talk soon! (we’ll call or text each other).
| Form | Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sento | sentire | I hear / I feel / I smell | Sento un rumore. |
| mi sento | sentirsi | I feel (my state) | Mi sento bene. |
| me la sento | sentirsela | I feel up to it | Non me la sento. |
1. Sentire: to hear, to feel, to smell
Sentire covers three senses in English. The context tells you which one:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Sento un rumore. | I hear a noise. |
| Sento un profumo buonissimo. | I smell something delicious. |
| Sento un dolore alla schiena. | I feel a pain in my back. |
| Non ti sento, c’è troppo rumore! | I can’t hear you, it’s too noisy! |
Note: to say “I’m cold” or “I’m hungry,” Italians usually say ho freddo, ho fame. Sento freddo exists, but it’s less common.
Other everyday uses of sentire
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Senti, posso chiederti una cosa? | Listen / Hey, can I ask you something? |
| Ci sentiamo domani! | Talk to you tomorrow! (call or text) |
| Ti ho sentito ieri alla radio. | I heard you on the radio yesterday. |
| Sento la tua mancanza. | I miss you. |
2. Mi sento: how you feel
Mi sento comes from the reflexive verb sentirsi. As often happens with reflexive verbs, the reflexive form changes the meaning: it describes your own physical or emotional state. It’s usually followed by an adjective, an adverb or a phrase:
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Mi sento bene. | I feel good. |
| Mi sento stanca. | I feel tired. |
| Mi sento a mio agio. | I feel comfortable / at ease. |
| Mi sento in colpa. | I feel guilty. |
| Come ti senti oggi? | How are you feeling today? |
Mi sento male or sto male?
Both mean “I don’t feel well.” Mi sento male often describes a sudden feeling (Mi sento male, devo sedermi), while sto male is more general (Sto male da tre giorni).
3. Me la sento: I feel up to it
Now for the trickiest one. Me la sento comes from the pronominal verb sentirsela. It doesn’t translate literally: it means I feel up to it, I feel able to do it, I have the courage to do it. It’s very often used in the negative.
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| Non me la sento di guidare stasera. | I don’t feel up to driving tonight. |
| Te la senti di parlare in pubblico? | Do you feel up to speaking in public? |
| Sì, me la sento! | Yes, I’m up for it! |
| Se non te la senti, non fa niente. | If you don’t feel like it, it’s fine. |
Structure: (non) me la sento di + infinitive.
| Sentirsela | |
|---|---|
| io | me la sento |
| tu | te la senti |
| lui / lei / Lei | se la sente |
| noi | ce la sentiamo |
| voi | ve la sentite |
| loro | se la sentono |
Exercise: sento, mi sento or me la sento?
- Non ______ molto bene, credo di avere la febbre.
- ______ un buon odore di caffè!
- È troppo difficile, non ______ di farlo da sola.
- Parla più forte, non ti ______!
- Dopo la vacanza ______ molto più rilassata.
- ______ di venire con noi in montagna? (tu)
Show the answers
- mi sento
- Sento
- me la sento
- sento
- mi sento
- Te la senti
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between sento and mi sento?
Sento (from sentire) means I hear, I feel or I smell something: sento un rumore. Mi sento (from sentirsi) describes how you feel: mi sento stanca.
What does “me la sento” mean in Italian?
It means “I feel up to it” or “I have the courage to do it.” It comes from sentirsela and is often negative: non me la sento di guidare.
What does “ci sentiamo” mean?
Ci sentiamo means “talk soon,” as in we’ll call or text each other. It’s a very common way to say goodbye.
How do you say “how are you feeling?” in Italian?
Come ti senti? (informal) or Come si sente? (formal).
Practice with my stories
My characters are always saying how they feel, and whether they feel up to something new. Here are three stories to see sentire in context:
Due Amiche e un Album di Fotografie
Level A1
Two friends, an old photo album and a trip through southern Italy.
7 Romance Short Stories in Italian
Level B1/B2
Seven stories about love and everyday life, full of natural conversations.
Dive deeper: reflexive verbs · pronominal verbs · farcela · avercela
