This untranslatable German word is one of my favorites, and I hope it becomes one of yours, too!
You'll learn the meaning of Fingerspitzengefühl and there are plenty of repetitions of it so you can get used to pronouncing it.
It's a long word!
You'll learn the meaning of Fingerspitzengefühl in English and you'll learn when to use it in German.
Reference for the sensitivity of fingertips: https://asknature.org/strategy/fingertips-increase-sensitivity-to-touch/
N.B. While the GermanWithNicole.com Podcast no longer exists, you can still hear all of the audios here on the blog. The audios are available on the blog posts published between August 1, 2021 and October 1, 2024. Viel Spaß beim Hören!
Der, die oder das Gefühl?
Das Gefühl.
And as you may already know, compound nouns use the article for the last noun in the word, so if we take die Fingerspitzen and put it together with das Gefühl, we get das Fingerspitzengefühl.
Das Fingerspitzengefühl
means a combination of the words intuition, tact, and finesse.
Think of a sticky situation you might be involved in or were once involved in and you needed to navigate that situation carefully and thoughtfully. This is very much about the how you proceeded or will proceed in this situation. So you'd use your intuition, you'd keep a cool head, and proceed as diplomatically as possible. You'd use all the tact you've got and work appropriately through the situation.
Das Fingerspitzengefühl
Our fingertips are quite sensitive. They can detect changes in textures, materials, temperatures, and even pressures (Link: https://asknature.org/strategy/fingertips-increase-sensitivity-to-touch/). And our fingerprints are unique to us as individuals. This kind of sensitivity is a fantastic representation of how to proceed in a sticky situation.
Das Fingerspitzengefühl
There is no one, single translation for this word into English. One good way of translating it is the combination of “diplomacy and tact,” or “great sensitivity all parties involved.” This isn't a word that gets used often, however it is a great word to know, especially if you really like the way that Germans do things. You can think of applying this word to situations which need really a lot of tact, diplomacy, and you're working towards finding common ground.
Das Fingerspitzengefühl