Sentimento vs. sensação
While both sentimento and sensação can be translated as feeling in English, they are not interchangeable in Portuguese. Sentimento refers to deeper, more complex emotional states, while sensação describes physical perceptions or more immediate, gut-level impressions.
Sentimento
A2A sentimento is an emotion or a sentiment. It refers to a more complex, profound, and lasting internal state that is linked to your thoughts, heart, and emotional responses to events, people, or ideas.
O amor é o sentimento mais poderoso de todos.
(Love is the most powerful feeling of all.)
Ele não conseguiu esconder seu sentimento de decepção.
(He could not hide his feeling of disappointment.)
Tenho um sentimento estranho sobre esta decisão.
(I have a strange feeling about this decision.)
Ela expressou um profundo sentimento de gratidão.
(She expressed a deep feeling of gratitude.)
O sentimento de culpa o acompanhou por anos.
(The feeling of guilt followed him for years.)
Havia um sentimento de esperança no discurso do líder.
(There was a feeling of hope in the leader's speech.)
Sensação
B1A sensação is a physical sensation or a more immediate, visceral impression. It is often directly connected to the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing), a general state of the body, or a vague gut feeling.
Senti uma sensação de frio quando a porta se abriu.
(I felt a cold sensation when the door opened.)
A massagem me deu uma sensação de relaxamento imediato.
(The massage gave me a sensation of immediate relaxation.)
Tive a sensação de que alguém estava me observando.
(I had the sensation that someone was watching me.)
A areia quente nos pés era uma sensação muito boa.
(The hot sand on my feet was a very good sensation.)
Ele descreveu uma sensação de vertigem antes de desmaiar.
(He described a sensation of dizziness before fainting.)
Depois de comer tanto, tive uma sensação de enfartamento.
(After eating so much, I had a sensation of being stuffed.)
Summary
In short, use sentimento for complex emotions that come from the heart or mind, such as love, sadness, jealousy, or gratitude. Use sensação for physical feelings that come from your body and senses, like heat, cold, tingling, or a gut impression like being watched.