erträgt

Erträgt is the third-person singular present tense form of the German verb ertragen, which means to endure, bear, or tolerate something difficult or painful. Ertragen is an irregular, strong verb. In the present tense the forms are ich ertrage, du erträgst, er erträgt, wir ertragen, ihr ertragt, sie ertragen; the past tense is ertrug, and the past participle is ertragen. The auxiliary for perfect constructions is haben, as in er hat ertragen.

Usage and meaning: Ertragen governs a direct object in the accusative, expressing endurance of something burdensome. Examples: Sie erträgt die Hitze. Er erträgt den Schmerz geduldig. It is commonly used for physical pain, emotional stress, or adverse circumstances, and can describe tolerating a person or situation as in Er erträgt ihre Launen. The phrase nicht ertragen können (cannot bear or stand) is a frequent collocation.

Nuance and relation to other verbs: Ertragen implies active endurance over time or under difficulty, rather than merely carrying something physically. It is related to but distinct from auszuhalten (to withstand) and tolerieren (to tolerate) in nuance; ertragen often conveys a sense of resilience or suffering that one continues to endure. In everyday speech, it can also appear in questions or negations: Kannst du das ertragen? Ich kann diese Kritik nicht ertragen.

Etymology: The verb derives from er- + tragen (to bear), with the prefix er- contributing a sense of completion or result in many German verbs.