taff
tough
Resilient, able to withstand pressure, and determined and assertive in difficult situations.
EXAMPLE
Sie ist eine taffe Frau und lässt sich von Rückschlägen nicht entmutigen.
She is a tough woman and doesn't let setbacks discourage her.
taff
tough
taff – taffer – am taffsten
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry taff, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
Comparison
| basic form | taff |
|---|---|
| comparative | taffer |
| superlative | am taffsten |
After der, die, das
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -e | -e | -e | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -e | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to taff.
After ein, eine
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -en |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -en |
| dat. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
| gen. | -en | -en | -en | -en |
Add the ending to taff.
Without article
| masc. | fem. | neut. | plural | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| nom. | -er | -e | -es | -e |
| acc. | -en | -e | -es | -e |
| dat. | -em | -er | -em | -en |
| gen. | -en | -er | -en | -er |
Add the ending to taff.
Usage tips
Register and style
'Taff' (tough) is mainly informal and is often used approvingly. The word is particularly suited to describing people, their manner, or their response to difficult situations.
EXAMPLE
Trotz der Kritik blieb sie taff und ruhig.
Despite the criticism, she remained tough and calm.
Typical collocations
Common combinations include 'eine taffe Frau' (a tough woman), 'ein taffer Mann' (a tough man), 'ein taffes Team' (a tough team), and 'eine taffe Haltung' (a tough stance). The adjective often comes directly before a noun.
EXAMPLE
Für diese Aufgabe brauchen wir ein taffes Team.
We need a tough team for this task.
Typical usage
'Taff' (tough) is often combined with verbs describing how someone presents themselves or acts, for example 'taff auftreten' (to act tough), 'taff bleiben' (to stay tough), or 'sich taff zeigen' (to show oneself to be tough). In this way, the word describes both a personal quality and how it is visibly expressed in someone's behavior in a particular situation.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem verlorenen Prozess zeigte sich die Unternehmerin taff und entschlossen.
After losing the court case, the businesswoman showed herself to be tough and determined.
In real life
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