der Sinn
meaning / purpose
The meaning, purpose, or intention behind a thing, action, or life itself.
EXAMPLE
Was ist der Sinn dieser neuen Regelung?
What is the purpose of this new regulation?
der Sinn
meaning / sense
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Meanings
der Sinn
sense
One of the abilities with which living beings perceive their environment, such as sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Usually used in the plural.
EXAMPLE
Hunde haben einen ausgezeichneten Geruchssinn.
Dogs have an excellent sense of smell.
Sinn für etwas haben
to have a sense for
To have a special understanding, feeling, or talent for something.
EXAMPLE
Meine Schwester hat einen tollen Sinn für Mode.
My sister has a great sense of fashion.
Sinn machen / ergeben
to make sense
To be logical, understandable, or reasonable. Often used in the negative form 'keinen Sinn machen/ergeben' (to make no sense).
EXAMPLE
Es ergibt keinen Sinn, bei diesem Wetter ohne Jacke nach draußen zu gehen.
It makes no sense to go outside without a jacket in this weather.
im Sinn haben
to have in mind
To intend something or to be thinking of something specific.
EXAMPLE
Ich weiß nicht genau, was er mit diesem Vorschlag im Sinn hatte.
I don't know exactly what he had in mind with this proposal.
Usage tips
Word family
The word 'Sinn' (meaning/sense) is the basis for many other important words. These include the adjectives 'sinnvoll' (meaningful/sensible) and 'sinnlos' (meaningless/pointless), as well as the noun 'Unsinn' (nonsense).
EXAMPLE
Es ist sinnvoll, sich gut auf die Prüfung vorzubereiten.
It makes sense to prepare well for the exam.
Sentence structure and usage
When asking about the purpose or meaning, you often use the structure 'der Sinn von' (the meaning/purpose of) with the dative or a genitive construction.
EXAMPLE
Ich verstehe den Sinn von dieser komplizierten Regel nicht.
I don't understand the point of this complicated rule.
The five senses
In the plural, 'die Sinne' (the senses) usually refers to the five classic forms of perception. These are often formed as compound words with '-sinn' (-sense): Sehsinn (sense of sight), Hörsinn (sense of hearing), Geruchssinn (sense of smell), Geschmackssinn (sense of taste), and Tastsinn (sense of touch).
EXAMPLE
Der Tastsinn ist bei blinden Menschen oft besonders gut entwickelt.
The sense of touch is often especially well developed in blind people.
Fixed expression
The expression 'Sinn für etwas haben' (to have a sense for something) means to have a special feeling or talent for an area. The 'etwas' is always in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Er hat wirklich einen ausgeprägten Sinn für Gerechtigkeit.
He really has a strong sense of justice.
Typical verbs
To express that something is logical, the verbs 'ergeben' (to result in/make) and 'machen' (to make) are used. Both are very common, especially in spoken language.
EXAMPLE
Deine Erklärung ergibt endlich Sinn.
Your explanation finally makes sense.
Fixed expression
The expression 'etwas im Sinn haben' (to have something in mind) means to have an intention or to be thinking of something. The preposition 'im' (in dem) is a fixed part of the expression here.
EXAMPLE
Er hat uns nicht verraten, was er mit dem alten Haus im Sinn hat.
He didn't tell us what he has in mind for the old house.
Compare with
Sinn vs Ziel
goal / destination / target
The Ziel is the desired result that you want to achieve. Sinn, by contrast, explains why an action is useful or what function it has. Use Ziel for the intended end state and Sinn for the underlying reason or purpose.
Sinn
Der Sinn des Sprachkurses ist, mich auf die Prüfung im Juni vorzubereiten.
The purpose of the language course is to prepare me for the exam in June.
Ziel
Mein Ziel ist, die Sprachprüfung im Juni zu bestehen.
My goal is to pass the language exam in June.
In real life
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