敏感 (mǐn gǎn) is an adjective meaning 'sensitive' — describing a person, system, or situation that reacts strongly or quickly to stimuli. The character 敏 means 'quick', 'acute', or 'perceptive', while 感 means 'to feel' or 'sensation'; together, they convey the idea of being highly responsive to internal or external input. It’s commonly used to describe emotional sensitivity (e.g., easily hurt by criticism), physical sensitivity (e.g., skin reacting to sunlight), or sociopolitical sensitivity (e.g., topics considered off-limits in public discourse).

This word carries neutral-to-cautious connotations depending on context: calling someone 敏感 may imply emotional fragility (slightly negative), but saying a sensor is 敏感 highlights precision (positive). It often appears in compound terms like 敏感话题 (sensitive topic) or 过敏 (allergy — literally 'over-sensitive'). Unlike English 'sensitive', it rarely implies empathy or social awareness unless specified (e.g., 对他人情绪敏感).