German word

Gespür

Pronunciation

IPA/gəˈʃpyːɐ̯/

Meaning

  • neuter nounsense

Example

Er hat ein gutes Gespür für Farben.

He has a good sense of color.

Illustration for Gespür (sense)

More examples

Sie zeigte ein feines Gespür für die Stimmung im Team.

She showed a keen sense for the mood in the team.

Core concept

A quiet sense detects what is not obvious and helps assess people, situations, or artistic choices accurately.

Common phrases

  • ein gutes Gespür für Farben

    a good sense for colors

  • ein feines Gespür für Nuancen

    a keen sense for nuances

Similar words

Gefühl: A feeling or emotional response arising within the mind.
Wahrnehmung: Awareness of information received through the five senses.
Intuition: An immediate sense of what is correct without conscious reasoning.
Spürsinn: Sharp detection of slight clues that can reveal the truth.

Definition in German

Die Fähigkeit, feine Hinweise, Stimmungen oder Zusammenhänge intuitiv wahrzunehmen und treffend einzuschätzen.

Word origin

The noun Gespür developed from Middle High German spüeren, the ancestor of modern spüren, and denotes the ability to sense something finely.

Usage tips

  • Gespür usually concerns perceptive judgment, whereas Gefühl more often denotes a feeling or emotional state.

Other meanings

  • intuitionnoun

Opposites

  • Gefühlskälteemotional coldnessnoun
  • Gefühllosigkeitlack of feelingnoun

Related words

  • gespürvollsensitiveadjective
  • Gespürlosigkeitinsensitivitynoun

Word lists with this word