zeal / eagerness
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zeal / eagerness
Great diligence and strong, passionate commitment in pursuing a goal or carrying out an activity.
Mit großem Eifer stürzte sie sich auf das neue Projekt.
She threw herself into the new project with great zeal.
'Der Eifer' belongs to the word family of the adjective 'eifrig' (eager). When a person is 'eifrig', they show great 'Eifer' (zeal/eagerness) in an activity.
Die eifrigen Studenten beendeten die Aufgabe in Rekordzeit.
The eager students finished the task in record time.
'Eifer' is an abstract noun and is usually used as an uncountable noun, that is, in the singular and often without an article. Instead, it is frequently accompanied by an adjective such as 'groß' (great), 'enorm' (enormous), or 'übertrieben' (excessive).
Er zeigte bei der Renovierung des Hauses enormen Eifer.
He showed enormous zeal in renovating the house.
'Eifer' is most commonly used with the preposition 'mit' (with) or in the combination 'voller Eifer' (full of eagerness). Typical phrases are 'mit großem Eifer bei der Sache sein' (to be working on something with great zeal) or 'sich voller Eifer auf etwas stürzen' (to throw oneself into something with great eagerness).
Die Kinder waren mit großem Eifer dabei, den Schneemann zu bauen.
The children were building the snowman with great eagerness.
operation / effort / use
'der Einsatz' and 'der Eifer' both have to do with putting a lot of energy into a task. 'Einsatz' describes more how much effort, strength, or time someone actually invests. 'Eifer' describes the inner attitude more strongly: someone is very hardworking, motivated, and sometimes almost too enthusiastic. The words can be confused because both express commitment. If you want to emphasize the result of the effort, 'Einsatz' fits. If you want to describe a person's lively motivation, 'Eifer' sounds more natural.
Mit großem Eifer bereitet Max sich auf den Wettbewerb vor.
Max is preparing for the competition with great eagerness.
Der Einsatz der Ärztin hat dem Patienten sehr geholfen.
The doctor's effort helped the patient a great deal.