Fassbar

Fassbar is a German adjective meaning able to be grasped, either physically or mentally. It denotes that something can be taken hold of, understood, or made concrete. The noun form das Fassbare refers to the graspable or tangible realm, as opposed to the unfathomable or ineffable. The word is formed from the verb fassen (to grasp, to seize) and the suffix -bar, which marks capability or attainability.

Usage involves describing ideas, objects, or phenomena that are accessible or comprehensible. Common examples include eine fassbare Idee (a tangible, comprehensible idea) or eine fassbare Lösung (a feasible solution). In philosophy and aesthetics, das Fassbare can refer to aspects of reality accessible to perception or rational understanding, in contrast with das Unfassbare (the ineffable or beyond comprehension). In scientific or technical contexts, fassbar can describe measurable or observable quantities, though terms like messbar or beobachtbar are also used.

Synonyms and related terms include greifbar, fasslich, and nachvollziehbar, all conveying some degree of concreteness or clarity. The concept is often used to mark the contrast between what can be grasped or known and what remains obscure or mysterious.

See also greifbar, unfassbar, das Unfassbare.