permanent / lasting
Loading your saved state.
permanent / lasting
Describes something that remains in place for a long time or forever and is not just temporary. It refers to a long-lasting or permanent quality or state.
Die Tinte in diesem Stift ist dauerhaft und wasserfest.
The ink in this pen is permanent and waterproof.
The word is made up of 'Dauer' (duration; the time something lasts) and the suffix '-haft'. Something that is 'dauerhaft' (permanent/lasting) therefore has the quality of lasting a long time.
Wir suchen nach einer dauerhaften Lösung für das Problem.
We are looking for a lasting solution to the problem.
'Dauerhaft' can stand before a noun as an adjective and then means 'long-lasting'. It can also describe an action as an adverb and then means 'forever' or 'without interruption'.
Die Farbe hinterlässt eine dauerhafte Markierung.
The paint leaves a permanent mark.
As an adjective, 'dauerhaft' is often combined with abstract nouns to emphasize their permanence. Typical phrases are 'eine dauerhafte Beziehung' (a lasting relationship), 'ein dauerhafter Schaden' (permanent damage), or 'ein dauerhafter Frieden' (lasting peace).
Der Unfall verursachte einen dauerhaften Schaden am Fahrzeug.
The accident caused permanent damage to the vehicle.
always
'immer' and 'dauerhaft' can both express that something does not apply only briefly. But 'immer' is more general: it can mean that something happens every time or remains that way for all time. 'dauerhaft' more often describes a state or solution that continues for a long time and is not temporary. For example, people say 'dauerhaft beschäftigt' (permanently employed) or 'eine dauerhafte Lösung' (a permanent solution). The words can be confused because both point to a long period of time. As a simple guideline: 'immer' fits frequency and habit, while 'dauerhaft' fits a lasting state.
Nach der Reparatur funktioniert die Heizung wieder dauerhaft.
After the repair, the heating is working permanently again.
Meine Schwester nimmt immer den frühen Zug zur Arbeit.
My sister always takes the early train to work.