Feel is the present tense of the verb. Felt is the past tense and the past participle.
We say “I feel tired” right now and “I felt tired” yesterday. This guide explains felt vs feel with simple rules and clear examples.
What Does Feel Mean?
Feel as a Present Tense Verb
Feel means to sense an emotion, a physical touch, or an opinion in the present. It works as a linking verb and as an action verb.
Examples: “I feel happy.” “She feels cold.” With he, she, and it, we add an s.
Common Phrases With Feel
Many everyday expressions use this verb. Here are the most common ones:
- Feel free to ask
- Feel like having pizza
- Feel better soon
- Feel sorry for someone
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What Does Felt Mean?
Felt as a Past Tense Verb
Felt tells us a feeling happened earlier. It is the simple past of “feel.” The form stays the same for every subject.
Examples: “I felt nervous before the test.” “They felt proud last week.”
Felt as a Past Participle
Felt also pairs with have, has, and had in perfect tenses. These tenses link the past to now.
Example: “I have felt this way before.” Note that felt can also be a noun, meaning a soft fabric.
Felt vs Feel
The difference between felt and feel comes down to time. Check the table below.
Felt vs Feel
| Word | Tense | Use It When | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel | Present | The feeling is happening now | I feel safe here. |
| Felt | Simple past | The feeling ended | I felt safe there. |
| Felt | Past participle | After have, has, or had | I have felt safe here. |
Feel vs Felt in One Line
Use feel for now and felt for then. If the action is finished, pick felt.
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How to Use Felt vs Feel Correctly
Simple Sentence Examples
Look at the verb tense in each pair:
- Present: “I feel better today.”
- Past: “I felt better after lunch.”
- Perfect: “She has felt better since Monday.”
- Future: “You will feel better soon.”
Common Mistakes With Felt and Feel
Some errors show up again and again. Avoid these:
- “I feeled” is wrong. Write “I felt.”
- “I have feel” is wrong. Write “I have felt.”
- “Yesterday I feel” is wrong. Write “Yesterday I felt.”
A quick tip: find the time word in the sentence. Words like yesterday, last year, and ago call for felt.
Felt vs Feel FAQs
Is it “felt” or “feel”?
Use feel for the present and felt for the past. Look at when the feeling happened.
Is “feeled” a word?
No. “Feel” is an irregular verb, so its past form is felt, not “feeled.”
What is the past tense of feel?
The past tense of feel is felt. The past participle is also felt.
Can I say “I feel” about a past event?
Yes, but only in a story told in present tense. In normal speech, use felt for past events.
Does felt vs feel change in American and British English?
No. Both forms work the same way in American and British English.
Conclusion
Use feel for present emotions and felt for the past. Remember that felt also follows have, has, and had. Check the time of the action, and you will pick the right word every time.
Olivia Smith is the author and admin of GrammarAct, an informational grammar website. She writes clear guides, simple explanations, and helpful lessons to make grammar easy for everyone.