Sensible vs. Sensível: A Portuguese False Friend — Practice
A guided practice lesson with English explanations, Brazilian Portuguese examples, and answers you can check. Read the examples, recall the meaning, then say a version of your own.
Use sensato for a sensible choice
English sensible describes a practical or reasonable choice. Portuguese sensível usually means sensitive: someone may be emotionally sensitive or a material may respond easily to touch, light, or temperature. For a sensible decision, use sensato or prudente.
The endings change with gender and number: uma pessoa sensível, pessoas sensíveis; um plano sensato, uma decisão sensata.
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Foi uma decisão sensata esperar mais um dia. | It was a sensible decision to wait one more day. |
| Minha pele é sensível ao sol. | My skin is sensitive to the sun. |
| Ele é sensível a críticas. | He is sensitive to criticism. |
Check whether you mean practical or sensitive
If the English word means “reasonable,” sensato is usually the safer choice. If it means “easily affected” or “emotionally responsive,” sensível may fit. When the context is less clear, choose a more specific phrase such as uma escolha prática (a practical choice) or uma pessoa emotiva (an emotional person).
| Brazilian Portuguese | English meaning |
|---|---|
| Precisamos de uma solução prática e segura. | We need a sensible and safe solution. |
| O microfone é muito sensível ao ruído. | The microphone is very sensitive to noise. |
Remember: For a sensible decision, try sensato; for a sensitive person or object, use sensível. Match the Portuguese word to the intended meaning rather than the similar spelling.
Check your understanding
Choose the English meaning of each Portuguese example. Answer before looking back at the tables. These questions check the written examples in this guide; they are not a listening or proficiency test.
Recall the Portuguese, then say it
Read the English prompt and say a Portuguese version before opening the answer. The answer shows the example from the lesson; other natural translations may also work. Compare the meaning and the situation rather than counting a different word as automatically wrong.
It was a sensible decision to wait one more day.
Show a Portuguese answer
Foi uma decisão sensata esperar mais um dia.
My skin is sensitive to the sun.
Show a Portuguese answer
Minha pele é sensível ao sol.
He is sensitive to criticism.
Show a Portuguese answer
Ele é sensível a críticas.
We need a sensible and safe solution.
Show a Portuguese answer
Precisamos de uma solução prática e segura.
The microphone is very sensitive to noise.
Show a Portuguese answer
O microfone é muito sensível ao ruído.
Make the phrase useful to you
Choose one example you could actually use. Say it once from memory, then change one detail that fits your life, such as the person, place, time, or object. Check whether your change also needs a different verb form, article, or adjective ending. If it does, compare it with the pattern in the explanation.
For a sensible decision, try sensato; for a sensitive person or object, use sensível. Match the Portuguese word to the intended meaning rather than the similar spelling.
Return to two prompts tomorrow without opening the answers first. If a phrase still feels difficult, shorten it to a useful chunk and build the complete sentence again.
Sources and your next lesson
This I Speak Portuguese practice guide builds on our Sensible vs. Sensível: A Portuguese False Friend lesson on Real Life Portuguese, with written recall tasks and additional speaking practice. The explanations and examples are teaching material; the practice questions are exercises, not a transcript of a recording.
To add Brazilian audio to your routine, choose a lesson in the Real Life Portuguese app. The app offers its own lessons and practice; this page does not imply that every example here has an app recording.
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