sentir in literary & formal French
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Premonition and perception.
Sentir in formal French
Pressentir means to have a premonition of: « il pressentait le danger ». It is literary and precise, and it appears constantly in fiction.
The noun family is rich and formal: le sentiment (feeling, and also opinion in formal usage — « à mon sentiment »), la sensation, le ressenti. Formal writing chooses carefully between them.
💡 Focus at this level: Literary & formal
👨🏫 How to use « sentir » at this level
1. « Pressentir » = to sense in advance. Literary.
2. « À mon sentiment » is formal for “in my view”.
3. Recognise « il sentit ». Past historic.
Il pressentait le danger.He sensed the danger coming.
Il sentit une présence.He felt a presence.
Le sentiment général est favorable.The general feeling is favourable.
Elle éprouva une sensation étrange.She experienced a strange sensation.
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