Lesson 3 - Feelings and Moods in Spanish - Spanish From Scratch with Simple Spanish Now!
- José Alberto
- Aug 27
- 6 min read
Lesson 3 - Feelings and Moods in Spanish
Welcome back to this exciting adventure to learn this wonderful language with Simple Spanish Now!
Hello! My name is José Alberto, and as a Spanish as a foreign language teacher with 10 years of experience, I'm absolutely delighted you're continuing this wonderful adventure I've lovingly created for you.
You can watch the full lesson below (Available on Youtube) and use the supplementary materials we provide here on the blog:
- Vocabulary summaries. (Images in each blog post.)
- Workbook with exercises and solutions for each lesson. (At the bottom of each page.)
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Express Your Emotions Like a Native Spanish Speaker!
Today we're diving into an essential aspect of human communication: expressing how we feel! In this exciting lesson, you'll discover how to say whether you're happy, sad, nervous, or excited in Spanish. Carlos continues his adventure, now meeting his new teacher and classmates - and they all have different feelings to share! Ready to expand your emotional vocabulary and connect on a deeper level in Spanish? Let's explore the verbs "estar" and "sentirse" to express your mood with confidence and precision!
The Magical Verb "Estar" - Your Emotional Compass
In Spanish, the verb "estar" (to be) is your go-to tool for expressing temporary states, including your emotions and feelings.
Key Uses of "Estar":
• Questions about mood: "¿Qué tal estás?" (How are you?)
• Expressing emotional states: "Estoy bien, gracias" (I'm fine, thank you)
• Temporary conditions: "Ustedes están enfermos" (You are sick)
Conjugation of "Estar" (Present Tense): Like "ser," this is an irregular verb you'll need to memorize:
Singular:
• yo estoy (I am)
• tú estás (you are - informal)
• usted está (you are - formal)
• él/ella está (he/she is)
Plural:
• nosotros/nosotras estamos (we are)
• vosotros/vosotras estáis (you all are - Spain)
• ustedes están (you all are)
• ellos/ellas están (they are)
Here is a summary of "estar" conjugated in the present indicative tense in Spanish:
Essential Questions to Ask About Feelings
When you want to know how someone feels, you can use these questions:
Formal:
• ¿Cómo está usted? (How are you?)
• ¿Qué tal está? (How are you doing?)
Informal:
• ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?)
• ¿Qué tal estás? (How are you doing?)
• ¿Qué tal? (What's up? / How's it going?)
The Colorful Palette of Emotions in Spanish
Spanish has a rich vocabulary for expressing how you feel. Here are some of the most common emotional states:
Positive Feelings:
• contento/a - muy contento/a (happy - very happy)
• feliz - muy feliz (happy - very happy)
• alegre - muy alegre (cheerful - very cheerful)
• bien - muy bien (good/fine - very good)
Negative Feelings:
• molesto/a - muy molesto/a (annoyed - very annoyed)
• enojado/a - muy enojado/a (angry - very angry)
Example Responses:
• "Estoy contento hoy" (I'm happy today)
• "Justo ahora estoy contenta" (Right now I'm happy) • "Ahora mismo estoy alegre" (At this moment I'm cheerful)
"Sentirse" - An Alternative Way to Express Feelings
The verb "sentirse" (to feel) provides another excellent way to express your emotions.
Conjugation of "Sentirse" (Present Tense):
Singular:
• yo me siento (I feel)
• tú te sientes (you feel - informal)
• usted se siente (you feel - formal)
• él/ella se siente (he/she feels)
Plural:
• nosotros/nosotras nos sentimos (we feel)
• vosotros/vosotras os sentís (you all feel - Spain)
• ustedes se sienten (you all feel)
• ellos/ellas se sienten (they feel)
Questions Using "Sentirse":
• ¿Cómo se siente usted? (How do you feel? - formal)
• ¿Qué tal se siente? (How are you feeling? - formal)
• ¿Cómo te sientes? (How do you feel? - informal)
• ¿Qué tal te sientes? (How are you feeling? - informal)
Example Responses:
• "Me siento enojada" (I feel angry)
• "Me siento muy enojado en estos precisos momentos" (I feel very angry at this exact moment)
• "Justo ahora me siento muy molesto" (Right now I feel very annoyed)
Here's a summary of some sample questions and answers using the verb sentir, as well as the conjugation of this verb in the present indicative tense in Spanish:
Time Expressions: Adding Precision to Your Feelings
To express when you're feeling a certain way, these time expressions are incredibly useful:
• hoy (today)
• ahora (now)
• ahora mismo (right now)
• justo ahora (just now)
• en estos momentos (at this moment)
• justo en estos momentos (just at this moment)
• en estos precisos momentos (at this exact moment)
Below is a group of time expressions that you can use in the simple present indicative in Spanish:
The Full Emotional Spectrum in Spanish
Here's a more extensive list of emotions you can express:
More Feelings (Singular):
• asustado/a (scared)
• aburrido/a (bored)
• cansado/a (tired)
• hambriento/a (hungry)
• sediento/a (thirsty)
• confundido/a (confused)
• preocupado/a (worried)
• enamorado/a (in love)
• excitado/a (excited)
• emocionado/a (thrilled/moved)
• avergonzado/a (embarrassed)
• apenado/a (sorry/ashamed)
• nervioso/a (nervous)
Below is a summary of these feelings and moods in Spanish with visual information, both singular and plural:
Remember:
• For adjectives ending in vowels: add "-s" to form plurals (contentos, asustadas)
• For adjectives ending in consonants: add "-es" (feliz → felices)
Practice Time: Let's Put It All Together
Here are some complete sentences combining emotions, verbs, and time expressions:
"Nosotros estamos enojados ahora mismo" (We are angry right now)
• "Ellos se sienten muy cansados justo ahora" (They feel very tired just now)
• "Tú te sientes muy feliz en estos precisos momentos" (You feel very happy at this exact moment)
• "Lucas está hambriento justo en estos momentos" (Lucas is hungry just at this moment)
• "María y Lucía están preocupadas hoy" (María and Lucía are worried today)
Real-Life Spanish: Meeting Teacher Amanda
Let's join Carlos in his classroom as he meets his teacher Amanda and new classmates Mariana and Ernesto:
Amanda: ¡Hola, buenos días, chicos! Me llamo Amanda. Soy su profesora de español. Vivo en la Ciudad de México y soy mexicana. ¿Cómo están hoy?
Carlos: Hola, profesora. Yo estoy bien y me siento alegre porque estamos todos juntos.
Amanda: ¡Muy bien, Carlos! Mariana, ¿cómo te sientes hoy?
Mariana: Hola, profesora Amanda. Estoy un poco asustada porque soy nueva, pero también estoy emocionada.
Amanda: Gracias, Mariana. Ernesto, ¿cómo estás?
Ernesto: Buenos días. Estoy un poco nervioso porque es mi primer día, pero también me siento contento.
Amanda: ¡Qué bien, Ernesto! Carlos, ¿cómo te sientes hoy en la clase?
Carlos: Yo estoy feliz porque tengo amigos aquí.
Amanda: Qué bueno, Carlos. Mariana, ¿cómo te sientes ahora con tus compañeros?
Mariana: Ahora me siento más tranquila y feliz.
Amanda: Muy bien, chicos. Estoy feliz porque ustedes están aquí. ¡Bienvenidos a la clase!
Carlos: ¡Gracias, profesora!
Mariana: ¡Gracias!
Ernesto: ¡Gracias, profesora Amanda!
Key Insights from the Dialogue:
• Teacher Amanda is from Mexico City and speaks in a slightly more formal way with her students
• Carlos feels happy to be with friends
• Mariana is scared because she's new, but also excited
• Ernesto is nervous on his first day, but also content
• Mariana's feelings change during the conversation - showing how emotions can shift
Challenge Yourself: Comprehension Questions
Test your understanding of the dialogue by answering these questions:
¿Cómo se llama la profesora? (What is the teacher's name?)
¿Quiénes son los nuevos estudiantes en la clase? (Who are the new students in the class?)
¿Cómo se siente Ernesto en su primer día de clases? (How does Ernesto feel on his first day of class?)
¿Carlos está feliz o triste? (Is Carlos happy or sad?)
¿De qué país es la profesora? (What country is the teacher from?)
¿Quién está asustada? (Who is scared?)
Answers:
La profesora se llama Amanda.
Los nuevos estudiantes son Mariana y Ernesto.
Ernesto se siente un poco nervioso y contento.
Carlos está feliz.
La profesora es de México, de la Ciudad de México.
Mariana está asustada.
Key Takeaways: Expressing Your Feelings in Spanish
Use estar + adjective to describe how you're feeling: "Estoy feliz" (I'm happy)
• Use sentirse + adjective for an alternative: "Me siento triste" (I feel sad)
• Add time expressions to indicate when you're feeling something: "Ahora mismo estoy cansado" (Right now I'm tired)
• Adjust adjectives to match gender (contento/contenta) and number (feliz/felices)
• Ask about others' feelings using: "¿Cómo estás?" or "¿Cómo te sientes?"
Supplementary Materials
Lesson 3 - Workbook with answers.
Didactic exercises:
Excercise 1:
Excercise 2:
Excercise 3:
Congratulations!
You've just expanded your emotional vocabulary in Spanish! Now you can express how you feel, ask others about their emotions, and understand the nuances of Spanish emotional expression. This is a major step toward more authentic and meaningful conversations.
In our next adventure, we'll continue building on these foundational skills to help you communicate even more effectively in Spanish. ¡Hasta la próxima clase!
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