die Härte
severity
Great strictness or relentlessness in acting or judging.
EXAMPLE
Der Richter entschied mit aller Härte des Gesetzes.
The judge ruled with the full severity of the law.
die Härte
hardness / severity
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Meanings
die Härte
hardness
The physical property of a material that indicates how resistant it is to being penetrated by another object.
EXAMPLE
Diamant ist bekannt für seine extreme Härte.
Diamond is known for its extreme hardness.
die Härte
toughness
The personal quality of being resilient, tough, and resistant in the face of difficulties or pain.
EXAMPLE
Trotz der Verletzung zeigte die Sportlerin eine bewundernswerte Härte und spielte weiter.
Despite the injury, the athlete showed admirable toughness and kept playing.
die Härte
ordeal
Colloquially, a very difficult, exhausting, or unpleasant situation.
EXAMPLE
Die Prüfung war eine echte Härte, aber ich habe sie bestanden.
The exam was a real ordeal, but I passed it.
Usage tips
Word family
'Die Härte' (hardness/severity) is the noun corresponding to the adjective 'hart' (hard). All meanings of the noun derive from the basic idea of 'being hard', whether with materials, in character, or in a situation.
EXAMPLE
Der Stein ist sehr hart.
The stone is very hard.
Typical collocations
In the meaning of 'Strenge' (strictness/severity), 'Härte' (severity) is often used in formal or legal contexts. A fixed expression is 'mit aller Härte' (with full severity).
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei kündigte an, mit aller Härte gegen die Kriminalität vorzugehen.
The police announced that they would take action against crime with full severity.
Context clue
When it is about the physical property, you will often find the word 'Härte' (hardness) together with materials such as 'Stahl' (steel), 'Glas' (glass), or 'Diamant' (diamond), or in technical descriptions.
EXAMPLE
Die Härte von Stahl kann durch verschiedene Verfahren erhöht werden.
The hardness of steel can be increased through various processes.
Toughness in character
When 'Härte' (toughness) describes a character trait, the verb 'zeigen' (to show) is often used. The phrase 'Härte zeigen' means that someone is emotionally strong and resilient.
EXAMPLE
In dieser schwierigen Verhandlung musste sie Härte zeigen.
In this difficult negotiation, she had to show toughness.
Colloquial exclamation
The colloquial meaning is often used as an exclamation: 'Das ist die Härte!' This expresses that you find something unbelievable or outrageous.
EXAMPLE
Er hat mein Fahrrad genommen, ohne zu fragen. Das ist die Härte!
He took my bike without asking. That's outrageous!
Compare with
Härte vs Schwierigkeit
difficulty
Eine Schwierigkeit (a difficulty) is a problem that complicates an action and must be overcome. Eine Härte (a hardship) is, by contrast, a particularly burdensome or unpleasant situation that someone has to endure. Schwierigkeit is appropriate for a solvable obstacle, while Härte is more suitable for a severe personal burden.
Härte
Die Nachtschicht ohne eine einzige Pause war eine besondere Härte für das Personal.
The night shift without a single break was a particular hardship for the staff.
Schwierigkeit
Der Personalmangel war die größte Schwierigkeit bei der Nachtschicht.
The staff shortage was the biggest difficulty during the night shift.
In real life
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