die  Anstrengung

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/ˈanˌʃtʁɛŋʊŋ/

🧐 What exactly does Anstrengung mean?

Die Anstrengung (feminine noun) describes the use of physical or mental force to achieve a goal or complete a task. It refers to an effort or exertion, often associated with difficulty or exhaustion.

• Physical effort (körperliche Anstrengung): Refers to physical exertion, e.g., during sports, hard labour, or carrying loads.
• Mental effort (geistige Anstrengung): Refers to mental exertion, e.g., when learning, concentrating, or solving complex problems.

The word emphasizes the amount of force applied and the challenge involved. It is always a feminine noun, hence always die Anstrengung.

Article rules for der, die, and das

💪 Grammar Workout: Declining die Anstrengung

"Anstrengung" is a feminine noun. Here are the declension tables:

Example Sentences

• Nach großer Anstrengung erreichte er den Gipfel.
  (After great effort, he reached the summit.)
• Die geistige Anstrengung beim Lösen des Rätsels war enorm.
  (The mental effort in solving the riddle was enormous.)
• Trotz aller Anstrengungen gelang es uns nicht, das Projekt rechtzeitig abzuschließen.
  (Despite all efforts, we didn't manage to finish the project on time.)
• Wir würdigen deine Anstrengungen.
  (We appreciate your efforts.)

💡 When to use Anstrengung? Context & Co.

"Die Anstrengung" is used when talking about the exertion of power and energy, whether physical or mental.

Typical Contexts:

• Sports & Fitness: Nach dem Marathon spürte sie die Anstrengung in den Beinen. (After the marathon, she felt the exertion in her legs.)
• Work & Profession: Das Projekt erforderte große Anstrengungen vom gesamten Team. (The project required great efforts from the entire team.)
• Learning & Education: Das Auswendiglernen der Vokabeln war eine echte Anstrengung. (Memorizing the vocabulary was a real effort.)
• Everyday life: Das Tragen der schweren Kisten war eine ziemliche Anstrengung. (Carrying the heavy boxes was quite an effort.)

Important Phrases:

• sich anstrengen: The verb related to Anstrengung (to make an effort, to exert oneself). "Du musst dich mehr anstrengen!" (You have to try harder!)
• mit Anstrengung: To achieve something only with difficulty. "Er konnte die Tür nur mit Anstrengung öffnen." (He could only open the door with effort.)
• unter Anstrengung: Similar to 'mit Anstrengung'. "Sie atmete unter Anstrengung." (She breathed with difficulty/effort.)
• ohne Anstrengung: To achieve something easily. "Er löste die Aufgabe ohne Anstrengung." (He solved the task without effort.)

Distinction: While Mühe (trouble, pains) and Bemühung (effort, attempt) often emphasize the process or the will, Anstrengung focuses more strongly on the actual exertion of force and potential exhaustion.

🧠 Mnemonics for "die Anstrengung"

Article Mnemonic (die): Many German nouns ending in -ung are feminine (die). Think of: die Übung (the practice), die Leistung (the performance), die Bedeutung (the meaning)... and also die Anstrengung! The "-ung" ending is like a feminine signal.

Meaning Mnemonic: Imagine someone being very strict (streng in German sounds similar) with themselves, demanding a lot of effort – this leads to Anstrengung (effort). Or think that you approach (an) something that is strict/hard (streng).

🔄 Similar but Different: Synonyms & Antonyms

⚠️ Caution: Words like Belastung (burden, strain) or Stress are often consequences of Anstrengung, but not direct synonyms. They describe the negative impact more.

😂 A Little Joke

Warum nimmt der Sportler einen Stift mit zum Training?
(Why does the athlete take a pen to training?)

Damit er seine Anstrengungen notieren kann!
(So he can note down his efforts!) 😉

📜 Poetic Pause on Effort

Die Muskeln brennen, der Geist ist wach,
(The muscles burn, the mind is awake,)
mit jeder Faser, Schritt für Schritt,
(with every fiber, step by step,)
die Anstrengung treibt uns über's Dach,
(the effort drives us over the roof,)
nimmt uns zum Gipfel langsam mit.
(takes us slowly along to the summit.)

Ob Denkarbeit, ob schweres Tun,
(Whether brainwork, or heavy deeds,)
man spürt die Kraft, die investiert.
(one feels the power that's invested.)
Danach darf man verdient auch ruhn,
(Afterwards one may deservedly rest,)
hat sich durch Müh' nicht irritiert.
(not irritated by the toil.)

❓ Brain Teaser: What am I?

Ich koste Kraft, mal hier, mal dort,
(I cost strength, sometimes here, sometimes there,)
bin nötig oft an manchem Ort.
(am often needed in many a place.)
Beim Sport, beim Denken, groß und klein,
(In sports, in thinking, big and small,)
ohne mich gibt's selten Preis noch Schein.
(without me there's rarely prize nor reward.)
Manchmal macht mein Übermaß auch schlapp,
(Sometimes my excess also makes you tired,)
wer bin ich wohl, sag's mir ganz knapp?
(who am I, tell me quite briefly?)

Solution: Die Anstrengung (Effort/Exertion)

🧩 Word Detectives: Deconstructing Anstrengung

The word "Anstrengung" is composed of:

• an: A prefix particle, here indicating a direction or approach.
• strengen: The verb "strengen" (rare today, related to "streng" meaning strict/severe) originally meant something like 'to tighten', 'to tense'. In reflexive use "sich anstrengen" it means 'to exert oneself', 'to tense one's powers'.
• -ung: A suffix that nominalizes verbs (turns them into nouns) and usually forms feminine nouns.

So, "Anstrengung" literally means the 'act of tensing oneself' or 'approaching something strict/hard'.