leniency
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leniency
Understanding and patient behavior toward other people's mistakes, weaknesses, or misconduct. It means not judging or punishing too harshly.
Bitte haben Sie Nachsicht mit mir, es ist mein erster Tag in diesem Job.
Please show leniency toward me; it’s my first day in this job.
The word is made up of 'nach' (after/beyond) and 'Sicht' (view). The idea behind it is that you do not stick with the first, strict impression ('Sicht'), but look beyond it ('nach') and judge more mildly.
Bei Anfängern sollte man immer etwas Nachsicht zeigen.
You should always show a little leniency toward beginners.
If you want to express whom someone is lenient with, use the preposition 'mit' followed by the dative. Another common phrase is 'um Nachsicht bitten' (to ask for leniency).
Der Chef hatte Nachsicht mit dem neuen Mitarbeiter.
The boss showed leniency toward the new employee.
'Nachsicht' (leniency) is a rather formal and polite word. It is often used in official apologies or when asking for understanding for a mistake or inconvenience.
Wir bitten um Ihre Nachsicht wegen der Bauarbeiten.
We ask for your leniency because of the construction work.
The combination 'Nachsicht üben' (to show leniency) is a very common fixed expression. It means to actively be lenient or to consciously choose a mild judgment.
Obwohl der Fehler groß war, entschied sich die Professorin, Nachsicht zu üben.
Although the mistake was serious, the professor decided to show leniency.
understanding
'das Verständnis' and 'die Nachsicht' can both have to do with treating other people's mistakes kindly. 'Verständnis' means that you can understand a person's situation or reasons. 'Nachsicht' goes one step further: because of that, you do not react strictly, do not punish harshly, or are patient with a mistake. The words can be confused because people often show leniency out of understanding. As a guide: 'Verständnis' is more about inward understanding; 'Nachsicht' is the mild behavior that follows.
Die Trainerin übt Nachsicht, weil Tom zum ersten Mal zu spät gekommen ist.
The coach shows leniency because it is Tom's first time being late.
Er hatte Verständnis dafür, dass die Kassiererin bei dem Stress einen Fehler machte.
He understood that the cashier made a mistake under all that stress.