Hun er følsom over for kritik.

to be

Breakdown of Hun er følsom over for kritik.

• hun: she
• over for: to
• kritikken: the criticism

Questions & Answers about Hun er følsom over for kritik.

Why is følsom after er?

Because følsom is a predicate adjective. In Danish, adjectives often come after at være just like in English:

• Hun er følsom. = She is sensitive.

So the structure is:

• Hun = subject
• er = verb
• følsom = adjective describing the subject

What exactly does følsom mean here?

Here, følsom means sensitive in an emotional or psychological sense: criticism affects her easily.

It can also mean sensitive in other contexts, depending on what follows:

• følsom over for kritik = sensitive to criticism
• følsom hud = sensitive skin
• følsom for lys = sensitive to light

So the word is broad, but in this sentence it clearly refers to a person’s reaction to criticism.

Why does Danish use over for here?