How to Express How You Feel in Spanish

By Lingobi, Published on 02/19/2025

Learning how to express your feelings in Spanish is crucial for deep, meaningful conversations. Whether you're happy, sad, excited, or frustrated, knowing the right words will help you connect with Spanish speakers on an emotional level.

Basic Emotions

Let's start with some common ways to express how you're feeling:

  • Estoy feliz - I am happy
  • Estoy triste - I am sad
  • Estoy emocionado/a - I am excited
  • Estoy enojado/a - I am angry

Using "Me siento" vs. "Estoy"

Both me siento and estoy mean "I feel" or "I am," but there's a subtle difference.

Me siento is used with adjectives describing emotions:

  • Me siento cansado/a - I feel tired
  • Me siento nervioso/a - I feel nervous

Estoy is used for temporary states:

  • Estoy enfermo/a - I am sick
  • Estoy aburrido/a - I am bored

Adding Intensity

Want to emphasize your feelings? Use words like muy (very) or un poco (a little):

  • Estoy muy feliz - I am very happy
  • Me siento un poco triste - I feel a little sad

Expressions with "Tener"

Some emotions use the verb tener (to have) instead of estar:

  • Tengo miedo - I am scared (literally "I have fear")
  • Tengo sueño - I am sleepy (literally "I have sleepiness")

Using Expressions in Conversation

Practicing with native speakers is the best way to learn! On Lingobi, you can chat with other learners and use these phrases in real conversations.

How do you feel today? Try expressing it in Spanish!