me siento mal
/me sjento mal/from spelling rules
In Spanish, me siento mal is used to say 'I feel bad'.
The phrase is used to say that you are experiencing physical illness or emotional distress. It is a versatile way to describe both a body that is unwell and a mind or heart that is feeling guilt or distress, much like the English 'I feel bad'.
Which one should you use?
While me siento mal can mean feeling physically ill, it is also used to express guilt or emotional distress, similar to the English 'I feel bad'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the reflexive verb sentirse (to feel oneself) rather than the non-reflexive sentir (to feel something/someone).
When do people say it?
Depending on the context, there are other ways to express different levels of distress. For example, to show empathy and express regret about circumstances in formal conversations, one might say Lamento mucho la situación. In colloquial conversations, to express extreme tiredness or feeling utterly exhausted, you can say Estoy hecho/a polvo.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, if you say me siento malo, you are not saying 'I feel bad' but rather 'I feel like a bad person'.
- The word mal is a direct relative of the English prefix 'mal-' found in words like 'malfunction' and 'malevolent'.
- While me siento mal expresses a general state of feeling bad, Spanish speakers often use estoy mal to indicate a more objective or severe state of illness or distress.
Examples in context
- Hoy me siento mal.I feel bad today.This sentence shows how to use me siento mal when referring to how you feel today.Tatoeba #1747166 by Shishir, translation #662613 by bluepie88
- Ahora me siento mal.Now I feel bad.This sentence demonstrates the use of me siento mal to describe how you feel right now.Tatoeba #1900715 by hayastan, translation #1898292 by CK
- Me siento mal por él.I feel bad for him.This sentence illustrates using me siento mal to express feeling bad for someone else.Tatoeba #1638679 by marcelostockle, translation #1637337 by Spamster
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel tells Sofía that he cannot go to work.
- DanielNo puedo ir a trabajar, me siento mal.I can't go to work, I feel bad.
- Sofía¿Tienes fiebre o es el estómago?Do you have a fever or is it your stomach?
- DanielCreo que es un resfriado.I think it's a cold.
- SofíaDescansa mucho, Daniel.Get plenty of rest, Daniel.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
