das Gefühl
feeling
An inner, emotional feeling such as joy, sadness, anger, or fear.
EXAMPLE
Beim Abschied überkam sie ein Gefühl der Traurigkeit.
At the farewell, she was overcome by a feeling of sadness.
das Gefühl
feeling / sense
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Meanings
das Gefühl
feeling
A hunch, intuition, or vague impression of something.
EXAMPLE
Ich habe das Gefühl, dass uns jemand beobachtet.
I have the feeling that someone is watching us.
das Gefühl
sense
A special sense or talent for something.
EXAMPLE
Die Innenarchitektin hat ein ausgezeichnetes Gefühl für Farben und Raum.
The interior designer has an excellent sense for colors and space.
das Gefühl
feeling / sensation
The ability to perceive physically through the skin; the sense of touch.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Operation hatte er vorübergehend kein Gefühl im Bein.
After the operation, he temporarily had no feeling in his leg.
Usage tips
Word family
The noun 'das Gefühl' (the feeling/sense) is derived directly from the verb 'fühlen' (to feel). This connection helps you understand the basic meaning of inner or outer perception.
EXAMPLE
Ich fühle eine große Freude, und dieses Gefühl ist wunderbar.
I feel great joy, and this feeling is wonderful.
Sentence structure with intuition
When 'Gefühl' (feeling) describes a hunch or intuition, it is often followed by a subordinate clause with 'dass' (that) or an infinitive construction with 'zu' (to). The fixed phrase is 'das Gefühl haben, dass/zu ...' (to have the feeling that/to ...).
EXAMPLE
Ich habe das Gefühl, dass ich das schon einmal erlebt habe.
I have the feeling that I have experienced this before.
Fixed phrase for talent
To express a talent or sense for something, you use the construction 'ein Gefühl für etwas haben' (to have a sense for something). The thing someone has a sense for is always in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Ein guter Musiker hat ein feines Gefühl für den Rhythmus.
A good musician has a fine sense of rhythm.
Typical collocations
In an emotional context, 'Gefühl' (feeling) is often combined with verbs such as 'zeigen' (to show), 'verbergen' (to hide), or 'verletzen' (to hurt). The combinations 'ein gutes/schlechtes Gefühl' (a good/bad feeling) are also very common.
EXAMPLE
Er versucht, seine wahren Gefühle nicht zu zeigen.
He tries not to show his true feelings.
Context clue
You can recognize the meaning 'Tastsinn' (sense of touch) from the context. It is almost always used in connection with body parts and often in negative sentences to describe a loss of sensation.
EXAMPLE
Wegen der Kälte hatte sie kein Gefühl mehr in den Fingern.
Because of the cold, she no longer had any feeling in her fingers.
Compare with
Gefühl vs Ahnung
hunch / idea
Gefühl and Ahnung can both express an unfounded expectation or assessment. Gefühl emphasizes the personal inner impression, while Ahnung focuses more on the suspicion that something specific is actually the case or will happen. Use Gefühl for the experience and Ahnung for the suspected fact.
Gefühl
Vor dem Anruf hatte ich das Gefühl, dass etwas nicht stimmte.
Before the call, I had a feeling that something was wrong.
Ahnung
Vor dem Anruf hatte ich die Ahnung, dass etwas nicht stimmte.
Before the call, I had a hunch that something was wrong.
In real life
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