How do you conjugate emotion verbs in Spanish
In Spanish, emotion verbs are usually conjugated depending on the verb used, the sentence structure, and the subject experiencing the emotion. Commonly, emotions are expressed using:
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The verb “estar” (to be) + adjective to indicate emotional states, e.g., “Estoy feliz” (I am happy). The adjective agrees with the gender and number of the subject.
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Reflexive verbs that inherently convey emotional changes, such as “enojarse” (to get angry) conjugated with reflexive pronouns, e.g., “Me enojé” (I got angry).
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The verb “sentir” (to feel), which can be reflexive (“sentirse”) for personal feelings: “Me siento triste” (I feel sad), or transitive with nouns: “Siento alegría” (I feel joy).
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Verbs like “gustar,” “encantar,” “dar pena,” and others that require indirect object pronouns and often take the subjunctive mood in subordinate clauses, e.g., “Me gusta que vengas” (I like that you come).
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Verbs combined with adjectives to express emotion or state changes, such as “ponerse” + adjective (e.g., “Me pongo nervioso” – I get nervous).
Spanish emotion verbs typically involve indirect object pronouns to indicate who feels the emotion and require careful agreement of adjectives with the subject.
Summary of conjugation approaches for emotion verbs
| Verb Type | Example sentence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Estar + adjective | Estoy feliz | Adjective agrees in gender and number |
| Reflexive verb | Me enojé | Conjugated with reflexive pronoun |
| Sentir (reflexive/non) | Me siento triste / Siento alegría | Reflexive for personal feelings, transitive with nouns |
| Gustar-type verbs | Me gusta el chocolate | Use indirect object pronouns |
| Ponerse + adjective | Me pongo nervioso | Indicates change of emotion/state |
These verbs often require subjunctive in dependent clauses expressing emotions about actions or states.