to give up / to resign
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to give up
To give up hope or resistance and, discouraged, accept a situation perceived as unchangeable.
Nachdem seine Vorschläge immer wieder abgelehnt wurden, begann er zu resignieren.
After his suggestions were rejected again and again, he began to give up.
to resign
To formally give up an office, dignity, or claim; to step down. This meaning is rarer and more formal than the first.
Der König kündigte an, zugunsten seines Sohnes zu resignieren.
The king announced that he would resign in favor of his son.
'Resignieren' usually means to give up hope. It is a false friend of the English 'to resign', which means 'kündigen' (to quit) or 'von einem Amt zurücktreten' (to step down from an office). The second, rarer meaning of 'resignieren' does correspond to the English word, but it is used almost only in formal or historical contexts.
Viele Bürger resignieren, weil sie das Gefühl haben, nichts ändern zu können.
Many citizens give up because they feel they cannot change anything.
If you want to state the reason for the resignation or discouragement, you often use the preposition 'vor' followed by the dative. You resign yourself or give up 'vor' a challenge, a problem, or an overwhelming force.
Der kleine Verein resignierte vor der finanziellen Übermacht der Konkurrenz.
The small club gave up in the face of the competition's financial superiority.
The meaning 'von einem Amt zurücktreten' (to step down from an office) is very formal and rare. It is mainly used in relation to high offices, such as those of a monarch or pope, in historical or very official texts.
Der Papst erklärte, aus gesundheitlichen Gründen zu resignieren.
The pope declared that he would resign for health reasons.
to result / surrender
Both verbs can express giving up resistance in a hopeless situation. „Sich ergeben“ emphasizes accepting the situation without resistance, while „resignieren“ primarily refers to a loss of hope or drive. Use „resignieren“ when the person's discouragement is the focus.
Nach der langen Suche resignierte sie und erwartete keinen Erfolg mehr.
After the long search, she gave up and no longer expected to succeed.
Nach der langen Suche ergab sie sich ihrem Schicksal.
After the long search, she resigned herself to her fate.
