transience
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transience
The quality or state of existing only for a limited time and not lasting forever. The term refers to the temporal limitation of life and all things.
Die alten Ruinen erinnern uns an die Vergänglichkeit des menschlichen Schaffens.
The old ruins remind us of the transience of human creation.
The word is derived from the adjective 'vergänglich' (transient). The ending '-keit' turns adjectives into nouns that describe a quality or state. So it literally means 'the state of being transient.'
Die Ausstellung thematisiert die Schönheit und Vergänglichkeit der Natur.
The exhibition explores the beauty and transience of nature.
'Vergänglichkeit' (transience) is a rather elevated and philosophical word. It is used in reflective, literary, or spiritual contexts, but rarely in everyday conversations.
In seinen Gedichten schreibt er oft über die Vergänglichkeit des Glücks.
In his poems, he often writes about the transience of happiness.
The noun is often combined with a genitive to say what is transient. Typical phrases are 'die Vergänglichkeit des Lebens' (the transience of life), 'die Vergänglichkeit der Schönheit' (the transience of beauty), or 'ein Symbol der Vergänglichkeit' (a symbol of transience).
Der Herbst mit seinen fallenden Blättern ist ein Symbol für die Vergänglichkeit.
Autumn, with its falling leaves, is a symbol of transience.
eternity
'Ewigkeit' and 'Vergänglichkeit' are clear opposites. 'Ewigkeit' means a duration without beginning and end, or something that never stops. 'Vergänglichkeit', on the other hand, means that something exists only for a limited time and eventually ends. 'Ewigkeit' fits when talking about duration without limits. 'Vergänglichkeit' fits when you want to emphasize that life, things, or moments do not last forever.
Im Herbst erinnern die fallenden Blätter an die Vergänglichkeit der Natur.
In autumn, the falling leaves remind us of the transience of nature.
In vielen Religionen spielt die Idee der Ewigkeit eine wichtige Rolle.
In many religions, the idea of eternity plays an important role.