German Patience & Tolerance Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of waiting, enduring, and putting up with other people, from die Geduld itself to its opposite die Ungeduld, plus words for the self-control that patience requires, like die Selbstbeherrschung. One thing that trips up English speakers: ertragen doesn't mean "to earn" despite the look of it, it means to bear or tolerate something unpleasant, like noise or pain.
Learn these 16 words
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All 16 words
- geduldigA2
patient
Sie blieb sehr geduldig mit ihrem Kind. — She stayed very patient with her child.
- gelassenA2
calm
Bleib bitte gelassen in dieser Situation. — Please stay calm in this situation.
to respect
Man sollte fremde Kulturen respektieren. — One should respect foreign cultures.
impatience
Seine Ungeduld war deutlich zu spüren. — His impatience was clearly noticeable.
impatient
Er wurde langsam ungeduldig beim Warten. — He was slowly getting impatient while waiting.
to forgive
Kannst du mir diesen Fehler verzeihen? — Can you forgive me for this mistake?
- ertragenB1
to bear, to tolerate
Er muss den Schmerz geduldig ertragen. — He must patiently bear the pain.
patience
Bitte haben Sie etwas Geduld. — Please have some patience.
considerate
Er ist immer sehr rücksichtsvoll gegenüber anderen. — He is always very considerate toward others.
- tolerantB1
tolerant
Die Nachbarn hören oft laut Musik. Wir müssen sehr tolerant sein. — The neighbors often play loud music. We must be very tolerant.
- beharrenB2
to persevere / persist / insist
Er beharrte trotz aller Widerstände auf seinen Zielen. — He persevered in his goals despite all obstacles.
persistence / perseverance
Seine Beharrlichkeit führte schließlich zum Erfolg. — His perseverance ultimately led to success.
a leniency / indulgence
Der Lehrer zeigte Nachsicht mit dem verstörten Schüler. — The teacher showed leniency with the upset student.
self control
Selbstbeherrschung ist wichtig in schwierigen Situationen. — Self-control is important in difficult situations.
tolerance
Toleranz ist wichtig in einer Gesellschaft. — Tolerance is important in a society.
long-suffering
Sie zeigte langmütig Geduld mit ihm. — She showed long-suffering patience with him.
How to learn this set
Four of these nouns share the same suffix pattern (Geduld, Ungeduld, Nachsicht, Beharrlichkeit, Toleranz, Selbstbeherrschung) and all take die, so if you learn the gender once, you've covered a third of this list. Notice too that ungeduldig is just geduldig with un- flipped in front, the same trick that turns tolerant negative if you ever need "intolerant" (intolerant, borrowed straight from the adjective pattern). Drill beharren and die Beharrlichkeit together since the verb and its noun share a root you'll otherwise mix up. For the adjectives, sort them on a scale from mild to strong: gelassen and geduldig are calm baseline states, rücksichtsvoll and tolerant are about others, and langmütig sits at the extreme end, so place it last when you review.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between die Geduld and die Nachsicht?
Geduld is patience: the ability to wait or endure without getting frustrated. Nachsicht is leniency: choosing not to punish or judge someone for a mistake. You can be geduldig with a slow train, but you show Nachsicht when you let someone's error slide.
Is verzeihen the same as vergeben?
In everyday German, verzeihen is by far the more common word for 'to forgive', used in speech and writing alike. Vergeben exists too and means the same thing, but it sounds slightly more formal or religious, so learners should default to verzeihen.
What's the difference between tolerant and rücksichtsvoll?
Tolerant describes accepting views or behavior that differ from your own, especially opinions, beliefs, or lifestyles. Rücksichtsvoll is about actively considering other people's needs in a concrete situation, like keeping quiet because a neighbor is sleeping.
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