what is the rule?

Question

This lesson seems to be completely ambiguous: sentir - "what" we feel.

sentirse - "how" we feel, not what we feel.

Cada vez que veo esa película siento escalofríos. How do I feel? - "shivery"

Ella siente pena por la gente pobre. How do I feel? - "sympathetic"

Me siento emocionada por la generosidad de la gente. - What do I feel? - "emotion"

Surely there has to be a better set of rules for differentiating sentir from sentirse.

HELP

Accepted Answer

Hola Garry

I understand your confusion, and I'll try to clarify the distinction between "sentir" and "sentirse" in Spanish.

"Sentir" (without reflexive pronoun):

Used to express what someone feels or experiences.
"Siento escalofríos" (I feel shivers.)

"Sentirse" (with reflexive pronoun):

Used to express how someone feels, their emotional state.
"Me siento emocionada" (I feel excited.)

The key difference lies in the reflexive pronoun "me" which indicates that the feeling is directed inward, describing one's emotional state.
Your examples demonstrate this:

"Siento escalofríos" is about the physical sensation of shivering.
"Me siento emocionada" is about the emotional state of feeling excited.

So, in essence:

Use "sentir" for stating what you feel physically or generally.
Use "sentirse" when expressing how you feel emotionally or internally.

I hope this clarifies the distinction for you! If you have more questions, feel free to ask.
¡Buen finde!
Silvia

Answer

Hola Garry
It sounds like you're grappling with the nuances of expressing emotions and sensations using the words 'how' and 'what'. Your observation about happiness being 'how' you feel and a knock on the head being 'what' you feel is insightful.
When it comes to feeling like an idiot or feeling sick in the stomach, it involves a bit of both 'how' and 'what'. 'How' might capture the emotional aspect or the nature of the feeling, while 'what' encapsulates the physical sensation or the specific feeling itself.
For example, feeling like an idiot is 'how' you emotionally perceive yourself in a situation.Feeling sick in the stomach is 'what' you physically experience, describing the sensation in your stomach.
Language can be complex, especially when trying to articulate emotions and sensations. It's a journey of exploring and refining your understanding of these subtle differences. Keep practicing and asking questions – you're on the right path to mastering these distinctions.
Buen finde
Silvia

Answer

Such a great explanation Silvia, perfect! Gracias

Answer

I think the problem with not understanding the lesson is the difference in interpretations of "how" and "what" is felt. To me happy is "how" I feel . . . whereas feeling a knock on the head is "what" I feel.

To feel like an idiot is how whereas feel sick in the stomach is ??? how/what??? I wish I knew . . .

Answer

I think the problem with not understanding the lesson is the difference in interpretations of "how" and "what" is felt. To me happy is "how" I feel . . . whereas feeling a knock on the head is "what" I feel.

To feel like an idiot is how whereas feel sick in the stomach is ??? how/what??? I wish I knew . . .

Answer

Following on: We feel very happy is an emotional sensation NOT a physical reaction. Surely "nos sentimos" must be correct according to the lesson. No???

Answer

Following on: We feel very happy is an emotional sensation NOT a physical reaction. Surely "nos sentimos" must be correct according to the lesson. No???

Answer

Hola Garry
I'm going to quote you, you said: "I think the problem with not understanding the lesson is the difference in interpretations of "how" and "what" is felt. To me happy is "how" I feel . . . whereas feeling a knock on the head is "what" I feel." 
For me, this is where the clue is; if someone asks you "How do you feel today?" You'd answer with an adjective: "I feel happy". This is the same in Spanish: -¿Cómo te sientes hoy? - Me siento feliz. Now, someone could ask you the same thing in a different way (although it doesn't sound that natural): "What do you feel today?" You'd answer with a noun: "I feel happiness" - this is because you are answering to the question "What...?" so a noun is expected. In Spanish this would be: "- ¿Qué sientes hoy? - Siento felicidad. 
Of course there could be slightly more complex answers like "Me siento como un idiota"- here you have a phrase which isn't an adjective in a single word, but if you omit "como un..." you're left with the adjective "idiota", so the rule is still followed: 
Me siento = reflexive verb
idiota = adjective
In case you find other more complex sentences with "me siento...", you could also see something like this:

Me siento como si el mundo estuviera en mi contra. 
I feel as if the world was against me.

The whole subordinate clause "como si el mundo estuviera en mi contra" is telling you a certain way to feel. Imagine you're replacing all that clause with an adjective like:

Me siento incomprendido. 
I feel maladjusted/misunderstood.

It would still fit into the rule: Me siento (reflexive) + adjective
Another example, this time with the verb without the reflexive pronoun:

Siento que el mundo no me comprende.
I feel that the world doesn't understand me.

Now the subordinate clause "que el mundo no me comprende" is acting as a noun. You could replace the clause with a noun:

Siento la incomprensión del mundo.
I feel the lack of understanding from the world.

The rule still fits: Siento + noun
I hope this shows a little more light, Garry. 
Saludos
Inma