steady / resistant
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steady
Describes something that remains the same, stable, and without major changes over a longer period of time. It can refer to the weather, a person's character, or a relationship.
Trotz aller Schwierigkeiten blieb ihre Freundschaft über die Jahre beständig.
Despite all the difficulties, their friendship remained steady over the years.
resistant
Describes a material's resistance to external influences such as heat, water, chemicals, or wear.
Für den Außenbereich benötigen wir ein Holz, das besonders witterungsbeständig ist.
For outdoor use, we need a wood that is especially weather-resistant.
'Beständig' (steady/resistant) is related to the verb 'bestehen' (to continue/endure) and the noun 'der Bestand' (stock/existence). All these words contain the idea of duration and stability.
Eine gute Freundschaft muss auch in Krisenzeiten bestehen.
A good friendship must also endure in times of crisis.
In the meaning 'widerstandsfähig' (resistant), '-beständig' is a very productive word element. It is attached to a noun to express what something is resistant to, e.g. 'hitzebeständig' (heat-resistant) or 'wasserbeständig' (water-resistant).
Diese Jacke ist wind- und wetterbeständig.
This jacket is wind- and weather-resistant.
When 'beständig' is used as an independent adjective for resistance, it is followed by the preposition 'gegen' with the accusative.
Das Material ist beständig gegen die meisten Säuren.
The material is resistant to most acids.
In the meaning 'gleichbleibend' (steady/consistent), 'beständig' is often used to describe abstract things. Typical examples are: 'beständiges Wetter' (steady weather), 'eine beständige Leistung' (consistent performance), or 'beständige Liebe' (constant love).
Er zeigte über die ganze Saison eine beständige Leistung.
He showed consistent performance throughout the whole season.
constant
Ständig and beständig can both describe something that continues for a longer period. Ständig mainly emphasizes that something occurs continuously or repeatedly, while beständig highlights its consistent and stable character. Use beständig when the intensity or nature of what is happening changes very little.
Der Wind weht beständig mit fast gleicher Stärke.
The wind blows steadily at almost the same strength.
Der Wind weht ständig, aber seine Stärke wechselt oft.
The wind blows constantly, but its strength often changes.
