strenuous / exhausting
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strenuous / exhausting
Something that requires a lot of physical or mental strength, energy, or concentration and is therefore tiring.
Nach acht Stunden Arbeit war der Tag wirklich anstrengend.
After eight hours of work, the day was really exhausting.
'Anstrengend' (strenuous/exhausting) is the present participle of the reflexive verb 'sich anstrengen' (to make an effort). So something that is 'anstrengend' forces you to exert yourself.
Man muss sich wirklich anstrengen, um diese Prüfung zu bestehen.
You really have to make an effort to pass this exam.
The adjective describes not only activities such as 'eine anstrengende Wanderung' (a strenuous hike) or 'ein anstrengender Job' (a demanding job), but also people or things that are tiring, such as 'ein anstrengendes Kind' (a difficult/exhausting child) or 'ein anstrengendes Gespräch' (an exhausting conversation).
Die Diskussion mit dem Kunden war sehr anstrengend.
The discussion with the customer was very exhausting.
To express for whom something is strenuous or exhausting, use the preposition 'für' followed by the accusative.
Das Training war für mich heute besonders anstrengend.
The training was especially strenuous for me today.
hard
When describing demanding work, both „hart“ and „anstrengend“ are possible. „Anstrengend“ directly states that the work causes physical or mental fatigue, while „hart“ gives a broader assessment of the work as difficult and demanding. Choose „anstrengend“ when the focus is on fatigue and „hart“ when the focus is on the overall strain.
Die Arbeit auf der Baustelle war anstrengend, sodass er abends sofort einschlief.
The work at the construction site was exhausting, so he fell asleep as soon as he got home.
Die Arbeit auf der Baustelle war hart, aber sie brachte ihn beruflich weiter.
The work at the construction site was hard, but it helped him advance professionally.
