Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| sensible | /senˈsible/ |
| susceptible | /susθebˈtible/ /susebˈtible/ |
In Spanish, sensible is used to describe someone who is easily offended. It is also used to mean 'sensible' or 'reasonable' in certain contexts.
Which one should you use?
Be careful with the English word 'sensible' (meaning practical or rational). This is a false friend. To express that someone has good judgment or is rational, you should use sensato instead of sensible.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective sensible is gender-neutral in its spelling, meaning it remains sensible for both masculine and feminine singular subjects. However, it must agree in number with the noun it modifies, changing to sensibles for plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/senˈsible/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use sensible when you mean a person is practical or has good judgment. Use sensato for that meaning instead.
Did you know?
- The word susceptible stems from a Latin root that originally meant 'to undertake' or 'to lift up' rather than 'to feel'.
- Beyond emotions, Spanish uses sensible to describe physical things, such as piel sensible for 'sensitive skin' or a 'sensitive' instrument.
- While sensible focuses on being easily hurt, the word susceptible in Spanish often carries an even sharper connotation of being prone to taking offense at the slightest remark.
Examples in context
- Él es muy sensible.He is very sensitive.This sentence is useful for describing a male subject using sensible.Tatoeba #1266837 by Shishir, translation #729951 by Martha
- No seas tan sensible.Don't be so sensitive.This sentence is useful for giving an imperative to someone using sensible.Tatoeba #2594614 by hayastan, translation #2250419 by CK
- Tom es un niño sensible.Tom is a sensitive child.This sentence is useful for describing a child using sensible.Tatoeba #1399946 by marcelostockle, translation #1093495 by CK
- Es importante tratar el tema con cuidado, ya que es muy sensible para la comunidad.It is important to handle the topic with care since it is very sensitive for the community.
- La situación es muy delicada, debemos abordarla con precaución.The situation is very sensitive, we must address it with caution.
- Lo que sucedió es un tema complicado para mí y no tengo ganas de hablar de ello ahora mismo.What happened is a sensitive topic for me, and I don't feel like talking about it right now.
- 34 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are discussing a friend's reaction to a joke.
- JavierÉl se molestó por la broma.He got upset by the joke.
- LucíaEs que es muy sensible.It's just that he is very sensitive.
- Javier¿De verdad es tan sensible?Is he really that sensitive?
- LucíaSí, no aguanta las bromas.Yes, he can't handle jokes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sensitive” translations and entries sensible, susceptible, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sensible, susceptible, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
