Hello.
I faced this expression and i don't know, can i use it in a positive sense or not. I took a dictionary and found out that it has a negative meaning. Something that we don't want to talk about, because it's painful.
So, maybe the negative meaning is more common, i don't know.
But could i use it in a positive way?
For exmaple.
- Do you like cars?
- Oh, this is my sensitive subject!
*It doesn't mean that a guy was hit by a car in the past and spent a few years in a coma. He just loves cars and can talk about it for hours*
If i can't use it in a such way.
So what is it called in English? A topic i can talk about without a stop?
Thanks for answers.
I think the word you’re looking for is “passion”.
”Cars are my passion OR I’m passionate about cars. I can go on about them endlessly.”
Sensitive subjects invoke pain, embarrassment, anger, basically negative emotions. We wouldn't consider a topic we enjoy conversing about a sensitive subject. Well, some people enjoy talking about subjects that could offend other people, so those could also be considered sensitive subjects. Also, I think I would be more likely to say sensitive topics instead of sensitive subjects, but both have the same meaning.
As for your example, you could say something like this:
Do you like cars?
I'm obsessed with cars!
I love talking about cars!
I could spend all day talking about cars!
Edit: I just read Philip's comment, and it is true that to obsess over something can have a negative connotation, but I have heard people use it in a positive way when they are overly enthusiastic about something.
A sensitive subject is one that can cause embarrassment, delicacy, or provoke strong feelings/opinions. E.g. Italki bans discussions on some sensitive topics such as religion, politics, etc. because it is easy for the conversation to become one-sided (and not even). Similarly sensitive topics/subjects can be a person's health, their innermost feelings, etc which will only be revealed to the closest friends or doctor.
Talking about cars is not a sensitive subject, because it is not delicate feelings inside a person, but cars are out in the open, free to discuss, to like and to not like. A person can be enthusiastic about cars, and he can rave on about them for hours. Maybe "to rave" is the word you are looking for. To rave means to praise and to talk about endlessly. It doesn't have the obsessive connotation, so it doesn't have to be negative.
