voelbare

Voelbare is a Dutch adjective meaning tangible, perceptible, or palpable. It is formed from the verb voelen (to feel) and the suffix -baar, which yields adjectives indicating that a quality can be perceived or felt. The term covers both physical touch and broader perceptibility, including sensory, cognitive, or emotional dimensions.

In usage, voelbare describes phenomena that can be perceived or measured. Examples include "een voelbare verbetering" (a tangible improvement), "een voelbare spanning" (palpable tension), and "voelbare veranderingen" (perceptible changes). It is common in scientific, journalistic, and philosophical writing when the author wants to emphasize perceptibility. It is closely related to tastbaar (physically touchable) and merkbaar (noticeable), though tastbaar tends to imply physical touch, while voelbaar can encompass non-physical perception as well. Its opposite is onvoelbaar (intangible).

Morphology and usage notes: in Dutch, adjectives are inflected for definiteness and number. The form voelbaar commonly appears as voelbare before a definite noun or in plural contexts (de voelbare verandering, de voelbare spanning; voelen over Veränderungen in plurale vorm). The word is a standard part of everyday Dutch and is not tied to a specific field.

See also: tastbaar, merkbaar, onvoelbaar.