mitfühlen

Mitfühlen is a German verb meaning to feel with someone, to share another person's emotional state. Derived from mit- (with) and fühlen (to feel), it denotes emotional resonance rather than mere cognitive understanding.

In usage it expresses empathy through shared emotion: Ich fühle mit dir means I feel with you. The verb is conjugated like other strong verbs: ich fühle mit, du fühlst mit, er fühlt mit; past tense is hat mitgefühlt.

Mitgefühl (compassion, sympathy) is related but distinct; it denotes compassionate concern and often a willingness to help. Mitfühlen focuses on the experience of another's feelings, whereas Empathie in German covers a broader ability to understand and share perspectives, including cognitive insight.

Adjectives include mitfühlend (empathetic, compassionate); the past participle is mitgefühlt, used in compound tenses.

In social practice, the degree of emotional sharing varies by context and culture; mitfühlen remains a key mechanism for condolence, support, and bonding in German-speaking communities.