Definition
To feel, hear, or sense something through the body or emotions.
Example
Sento la musica dal piano di sopra.
Show translation
I can hear the music from the floor above.
Etymology
From Latin *sentīre* ("to feel, perceive"), from the Proto-Indo-European root *sent-* ("to go, find out"). The same root gives English "sense," "sentence," and "sentiment," and Spanish *sentir*, French *sentir*, and Portuguese *sentir*.
Cultural note
Italian *sentire* is wonderfully broad — it covers hearing (*Senti che bel canto!* — "Hear what a beautiful song!"), physical feeling (*Sento freddo* — "I feel cold"), and emotional feeling (*Mi sento triste* — "I feel sad"). It also commonly means "to taste or smell" in colloquial usage (*Senti che profumo!* — "Smell that fragrance!"). English speakers should be careful: the reflexive *sentirsi* (to feel oneself) is the standard way to express how you are feeling emotionally or physically, while the non-reflexive form more often implies an external sensory input.