die Empfindung
sensation
A physical perception conveyed through the senses, such as cold, warmth, pain, or touch.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Betäubung hatte er keine Empfindung mehr im Bein.
After the anesthesia, he no longer had any sensation in his leg.
die Empfindung
sensation / feeling
die Empfindung, die Empfindungen
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Meanings
die Empfindung
feeling
An inner feeling, an emotion, or a hunch. It describes an emotional state or an intuitive perception.
EXAMPLE
Ich hatte die seltsame Empfindung, dass etwas nicht stimmte.
I had the strange feeling that something was wrong.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Empfindung, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Empfindungen |
| genitive | der Empfindung |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Empfindung | die Empfindungen |
| accusative | die Empfindung | die Empfindungen |
| dative | der Empfindung | den Empfindungen |
| genitive | der Empfindung | der Empfindungen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Empfindung' (sensation/feeling) is the noun corresponding to the verb 'empfinden' (to feel or perceive). If you know that 'empfinden' means 'fühlen' (to feel) or 'wahrnehmen' (to perceive), you can understand the meaning of the noun more easily.
EXAMPLE
Er konnte seine Empfindungen nur schwer in Worte fassen.
He found it difficult to put his feelings into words.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning from the context: If it is about the body, senses, or medicine, a physical sensation is meant. If it is about intuition, feelings, or a hunch, an inner feeling is meant.
EXAMPLE
Er spürte eine schmerzhafte Empfindung im Rücken.
He felt a painful sensation in his back.
Sie hatte die unangenehme Empfindung, beobachtet zu werden.
She had the unpleasant feeling of being watched.
Typical collocations
For physical perception, 'Empfindung' (sensation) is often combined with adjectives such as 'kalt' (cold), 'warm' (warm), 'taub' (numb), or 'brennend' (burning). The phrase 'eine Empfindung von Kälte/Wärme' (a sensation of cold/warmth) is also common.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem langen Spaziergang im Schnee hatte sie eine taube Empfindung in den Zehen.
After the long walk in the snow, she had a numb sensation in her toes.
Sentence structure with 'dass'
To express an inner feeling or a hunch, the fixed structure 'die Empfindung haben, dass ...' (to have the feeling that ...) is often used. It is followed by a subordinate clause.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe die Empfindung, dass wir hier nicht willkommen sind.
I have the feeling that we are not welcome here.
Compare with
Empfindung vs Gefühl
feeling / sense
Here, das Gefühl generally refers to the ability to perceive something through the skin. Die Empfindung, by contrast, is a specific physical perception, such as warmth, cold, or pain. Use Gefühl for the ability to perceive, and Empfindung for a particular physical stimulus.
Empfindung
Nach der Behandlung spürt sie eine warme Empfindung in ihrer Hand.
After the treatment, she feels a warm sensation in her hand.
Gefühl
Nach der Verletzung kehrt das Gefühl in ihrer Hand langsam zurück.
After the injury, feeling is slowly returning to her hand.
In real life
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