Sensato vs. razonable
While both sensato and razonable relate to having sound judgment, they are used in slightly different contexts. The word sensato usually translates to sensible or prudent, describing people or actions that show wisdom, maturity, and a careful evaluation of risks. On the other hand, the word razonable translates to reasonable, fair, or logical, and is most often used to describe things like prices, arguments, deadlines, or people who are open to logic and compromise.
Sensato
The word sensato describes someone or something that shows good personal judgment, prudence, and maturity. It emphasizes a person's level-headed character, wisdom, or decisions that prevent unnecessary trouble.
Es un hombre sensato y nunca toma decisiones apresuradas.
(He is a sensible man and never makes hasty decisions.)
Me parece sensato esperar a que pase la tormenta antes de salir a conducir.
(It seems sensible to me to wait for the storm to pass before going out to drive.)
Su respuesta fue muy sensata dada la gravedad de la situación en la oficina.
(Her answer was very prudent given the gravity of the situation in the office.)
Criaron a sus hijos para que fueran adultos sensatos y responsables con su futuro.
(They raised their children to be level-headed and responsible adults with their future.)
Un líder sensato siempre escucha las preocupaciones de su equipo antes de actuar.
(A sensible leader always listens to the concerns of their team before acting.)
Razonable
The word razonable refers to something that is fair, logical, or moderate. It is frequently used to describe conditions, prices, arguments, expectations, or a person who is open to listening to reason and finding a fair compromise.
El precio del coche de segunda mano me pareció bastante razonable.
(The price of the second-hand car seemed quite reasonable to me.)
Tener miedo a las arañas gigantes es una reacción completamente razonable.
(Being afraid of giant spiders is a completely logical reaction.)
Llegamos a un acuerdo razonable que beneficia a ambas partes del contrato.
(We reached a fair agreement that benefits both parties of the contract.)
El gerente es una persona razonable con la que se puede negociar fácilmente.
(The manager is a reasonable person with whom one can easily negotiate.)
Me pidieron que terminara el proyecto de diseño en un plazo razonable.
(They asked me to finish the design project within a reasonable timeframe.)
Summary
In short, use sensato when you want to describe a person, action, or decision as sensible, prudent, or level-headed. Use razonable when you want to describe a price, condition, argument, expectation, or person as logical, fair, and moderate.