LingoDrop
Italian · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "sentire" in Italian?
sen-TEE-reh, stress on the second syllable. In IPA: /senˈti.re/.
Three even syllables, sen-ti-re, each fully pronounced. English cognates stress the first syllable; Italian stresses the second.
Listen: sentire
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Sound it out
English relatives like "sentiment" and "sensitive" both stress their first syllable, which makes them an unreliable guide here — Italian sentire puts the stress on ti instead.
Hear it in a sentence
Non sento niente.
I can't hear anything.
Listen: Non sento niente.
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"Non sento niente" uses sento, the io-form of sentire, negated with non and paired with niente ("nothing") — "I can't hear anything," built the same simple-present-plus-negation way as trovare's example. Italian's double negative here (non… niente) is standard and required, unlike the single negative English uses.
Sentire covers more ground than English "to hear" alone — it also means "to feel," both physically (sentire freddo, to feel cold) and emotionally, which is why the same verb shows up in contexts English would split across "hear," "feel," and even "smell" or "taste" for some speakers.
Where English speakers slip
English cognates like "sentiment" and "sensitive" stress their first syllable, which pulls learners toward the incorrect "SEN-ti-reh." Italian sentire stresses the second syllable, ti.
The other slip is under-committing to that stressed i, saying a short "ih" as in "tip" instead of a full, tense "ee." Italian stressed i is always long and clear.