erlebbar

Erlebbar is an adjective in the German language meaning “capable of being experienced” or “experiential.” It is formed from the verb erleben, “to experience,” and the suffix -bar, which yields adjectives indicating capability. The term describes something that can be perceived, felt, or lived through by a person. In practice, erlebbar emphasizes immediacy and immersion, referring to experiences that can be directly encountered rather than merely described or known secondhand.

The word is widely used in culture, education, design, architecture, and marketing to articulate the experiential quality of events, spaces, or media. For example, an exhibition can be described as erlebbar gemacht when its contents are presented in a way that invites active participation or sensory engagement. In urban planning or museum contexts, planners may speak of erlebbar gestaltete Räume to denote spaces designed to be felt and explored by visitors.

Erlebbar is closely related to erfahrbar, another adjective with a similar basic meaning. The nuance is subtle: erfahrbar often stresses that something can be known or learned through experience, while erlebbar foregrounds the experiential, participatory, or sensory dimension. The noun related to the concept is Erlebnis, meaning “an experience” or “an experiential event.”