sensibel

Sensibel is a German adjective with several related meanings centered on perception and responsiveness. It is commonly used to describe emotional responsiveness in people, as well as the ability of objects, systems, or topics to respond to small stimuli or require careful handling. In reference to a person, sensibel can convey both a positive sense of empathy and perceptiveness, and a neutral or slightly negative sense of being easily affected or fragile, depending on context and tone.

In practical use, sensibel is frequently applied to describe sensitivity to feelings or criticism, and to denote tact or delicacy in social situations. For example, a sensibler Umgang with others implies careful and considerate behavior. The word can also describe physical or technical sensitivity: a sensibles Messinstrument or a sensor is highly responsive to small changes. In this sense, sensibel is close to the idea of delicacy or precision in handling or measurement.

A related concept is Sensibilität, the noun form referring to sensitivity or sensibility. The related adjective empfinden means to feel or sense, and empfindlich is often used to mean easily hurt or susceptible, providing a useful contrast to sensibel in certain contexts. A common caution is the false friend with the English word sensible, which in German does not share all the same nuances and can imply different shades of meaning.

Overall, sensibel denotes a capacity to feel, perceive, or respond with care, from interpersonal nuance to technical sensitivity.