følsomme

Følsomme is an adjective used in Danish and Norwegian meaning "sensitive" or "easily affected by feelings or stimuli." The form følsomme is the plural or determiner-inflected form of følsom, and it is commonly placed before plural nouns or used as a substantive referring to people who are sensitive, for example følsomme mennesker (sensitive people) or de følsomme (the sensitive ones).

In Norwegian and Danish, the adjective agrees with number and definiteness: følsom in the singular, følsomme in the plural, and de følsomme when the group is definite. The neuter singular form is følsomt, as in et følsomt tema (a sensitive topic). The word can describe emotional sensitivity, such as being easily affected by others’ feelings, or physical sensitivity, such as being sensitive to touch or certain stimuli. It can carry neutral or nuanced connotations depending on context, sometimes implying vulnerability or care.

Etymology traces the word to the verb feel (føle in Norwegian, føle in Danish) with a suffix forming adjectives that denote a characteristic. The pronunciation and spelling reflect the shared Germanic roots of the two languages, while usage patterns align with how adjectives function in contemporary Danish and Norwegian grammar.

Følsomme is therefore a versatile term in Nordic languages for characterizing people, topics, or situations that require care, empathy, or caution due to heightened sensitivity.