How do you say “Tough it out” in German?
The closest natural German equivalent is durchhalten, which literally means “to hold out”. English speakers use tough it out to mean to endure a difficult situation without giving up. A natural German match for continuing despite difficulty. “Halte durch!” can encourage someone to keep going. Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural German
durchhalten
/ˈdʊʁçhaltn̩/
- Literal meaning
- “to hold out”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
96 out of 100
What a native German speaker would actually say
The verb separates in a simple sentence: “Wir halten durch.” In the past, say “Wir haben durchgehalten”.
It can describe finishing a course, enduring a long journey or waiting through a difficult period. It does not itself explain why someone stays.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
In context
English
The tent leaked, but we toughed it out until morning.
German
Das Zelt war undicht, aber wir hielten bis zum Morgen durch.
English
She disliked the course but decided to tough it out until June.
German
Sie mochte den Kurs nicht, beschloss aber, bis Juni durchzuhalten.
Related expressions
Last updated 2026-11-04