ständig

German

Etymology

Stand +‎ -ig

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʃtɛndɪç/ (standard)
  • IPA(key): /ˈʃtɛndɪk/ (common form in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland)
  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)
  • Audio (Germany (Berlin)):(file)
  • Hyphenation: stän‧dig

Adjective

ständig (strong nominative masculine singular ständiger, not comparable)

  1. permanent, constant (without breaks)
    Er ist ein ständiger Gast im Hotel.
    He's a permanent guest at the hotel.
  2. persistent, incessant, constant (repeated very often)
    Synonym: dauernd
    Ich bin fertig mit deinem ständigen Jammern.
    I've had enough of your constant whining.
    • 1973 February 23, Werner Birkenmaier, “Immer neue Ausflüchte”, in Die Zeit[1], archived from the original on 6 November 2016:
      Er bekam Post von ihr aus Mailand, Marseille, Bozen, England, Kanada und Südamerika, „kurze schriftliche Mitteilungen“, und zuletzt wohl habe man über eine Münchner Adresse ständig Post ausgetauscht.
      He received mail from her from Milano, Marseille, Bozano, England, Canada and South America, "brief written notes", and most recently it seems mail was constantly exchanged by way of an address in Munich.

Declension

Further reading

Swedish

Etymology

stånd +‎ -ig, similar to German ständig. The Swedish/German verb stå/stehen (to stand) is the basis for the noun stånd/Stand (standing), which can mean both upright standing (without support) and still standing (without movement or change). The still-standing meaning with umlaut and the -ig ending forms the adjective ständig. However, in some compounds (e.g. självständig/selbständig), the same transformation is based on the upright-standing meaning.

Pronunciation

  • Audio:(file)

Adjective

ständig (not comparable)

  1. constant, permanent ((occurring) without breaks)
    leva under ständigt hot
    live under constant threat
    en ständig kamp
    a constant struggle
    ständig värk
    constant pain
    ständigt tjat
    constant nagging
    Svenska Akademiens ständige sekreterare
    the permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy
    1. standing
      ständiga utskott
      standing committees

Declension

Inflection of ständig
Indefinite positive comparative superlative1
common singular ständig
neuter singular ständigt
plural ständiga
masculine plural2 ständige
Definite positive comparative superlative
masculine singular3 ständige
all ständiga

1 The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
2 Dated or archaic.
3 Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

References