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Mohamed Hafez
Community TutorCan "vernuenftig" and "sinnvoll" be interchangeable? I know both means sensible - reasonable.
I feel that "Vernuenftig" is more for people and "sinnvoll" is more with objects. Am I right?
Jun 26, 2021 11:09 PM
Answers · 9
Invitee
1
Vernünftig can be both for people and for things; sinnvoll is more for events, abstract notions; vernünftig is a character trait which sinnvoll can not be
June 27, 2021
1
Ivo has answered the question very good. A rule of thumb: vernünftig for a person, otherwise they are pretty much used as synonyms. There is a German-German dictionary with good examples and definitions: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/vernuenftig
June 27, 2021
Invitee
1
Wow, that's a good question. I would say, vernünftig has a broader meaning and it refers more to people's mind. While they might be interchangeable in some instances (eine vernünftige Entscheidung / eine sinnvolle Entscheidung), they have a slightly different meaning. "vernünftig" would stress that common sense was applied. "sinnvoll" carries the meaning of a logical decision. Also, "vernünftig" can describe a person ("ein vernünftiger Mensch") while "sinnvoll" can't.
June 27, 2021
No way synonyms
June 27, 2021
Nein Vernunft ist eine Art sich zu Benehmen was sinvoll sein kann - Situationsbedingt- sicherlich oft oft ein angepasstes Benehmen ist - muss es aber nicht
June 27, 2021
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Mohamed Hafez
Language Skills
Arabic, Arabic (Egyptian), Arabic (Modern Standard), English, German, Russian
Learning Language
German, Russian
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