tåla

tåla is a Swedish verb meaning “to endure,” “to tolerate,” or “to bear” a physical, emotional, or situational strain. The word is commonly used to describe both the capacity of an object to withstand external forces (e.g., “denna plast tåler hög temperatur”) and the human ability to cope with adverse conditions (e.g., “hon kan tåla stress”). In a broader sense, tåla can refer to the acceptance of differing opinions or behaviors, often implying a degree of patience or forbearance.

Etymologically, tåla derives from Old Norse *þola*, which shares roots with other Germanic languages; the English cognate is “to tolerate” and the German “tolerieren.” The infinitive form is tåla, the present tense is tål, past tense tålde, and the supine is tålt. The verb is regular in Swedish conjugation and can be used both transitively and intransitively.

In contemporary Swedish, tåla appears frequently in everyday speech, educational contexts, and literature. Psychological research on resilience frequently employs tåla when describing an individual’s capacity to endure stressors. In legal and occupational health discourse, the term is used to delineate limits of exposure, such as “arbetsmiljön får inte tvinga anställda att tåla farliga ämnen.”

Synonyms include uthärda, stå ut med, och klara av, though each carries subtle nuance; uthärda emphasizes sustained endurance, while stå ut med often conveys a more reluctant tolerance. Antonyms are exempelvis “misslyckas med” or “ge upp.” The noun forms tålighet (tolerance or durability) and tålig (adjective, meaning resilient or tolerant) are derived from the same root and are common in technical specifications.