Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| ermüdend | /ɛɐ̯ˈmyːdn̩t/ |
| langweilig | /ˈlaŋvaɪ̯lɪç/ /ˈlaŋvaɪ̯lɪk/ |
| nervtötend | /ˈnɛʁfˌtøːtn̩t/ |
The German language offers several ways to express tediousness depending on whether you want to emphasize a lack of interest, a sense of exhaustion or intense irritation. Use langweilig for general boredom, ermüdend for something that is wearying or monotonous and nervtötend for something that is maddeningly tedious.
What does it mean word for word?
The word ermüdend is derived from the verb ermüden (to tire or weary), so it literally means something that causes fatigue.
Which one should you use?
Langweilig is the most common way to say boring and is used for a general lack of interest. In contrast, ermüdend implies a sense of exhaustion or weariness caused by monotony. Nervtötend is a much stronger term than langweilig and is used when something is not just boring, but intensely irritating or maddening.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as an adjective, langweilig must take appropriate endings to match the gender, case and number of the noun it modifies, such as langweilige for feminine or plural forms.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛɐ̯ˈmyːdn̩t/
Did you know?
- The word langweilig is a cognate with the word langweilich used in Hunsrik, a language spoken primarily in Brazil by descendants of German immigrants.
- If a task is exceptionally tedious, you might call it nervtötend, which literally means 'nerve-killing'.
- The term nervtötend is often used humorously in German to describe mundane bureaucracy or long queues, turning a 'killing' word into a social complaint.
Examples in context
- Das Warten auf einen Zug ist langweilig.Waiting for a train is tedious.This sentence is useful for expressing that waiting for a train is boring using langweilig.Tatoeba #1335193 by Manfredo, translation #917784 by Shiawase
- Soweit ich mich erinnere, war die Reise lang und langweilig.The journey, as I recall it, was long and tedious.This sentence is useful for describing a long and tedious journey using langweilig.Tatoeba #2345484 by Tamy, translation #43478 by orcrist
- Maria hält es für anstrengend und langweilig, Fremdsprachen zu lernen.Mary thinks that learning foreign languages is tedious and boring.This sentence is useful for stating that learning foreign languages is tedious and boring using langweilig.Tatoeba #4461975 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2798922 by AlanF_US
- Das Projekt ist lästigThe project is tedious
- Die Aufgaben waren mühsamThe tasks were tedious
- Der Film war total ödeThe movie was really tedious
- Der Flug war langwierigThe flight was tedious
- Der Vortrag war so langweilig und langatmig, dass ich fast eingeschlafen bin.The lecture was so tedious and long-winded that I almost fell asleep.
- Die Hausarbeit ist wirklich mühsam und nimmt viel Zeit in Anspruch.The homework is really tedious and time-consuming.
- Die Präsentation war wirklich mühsamThe presentation was really tedious
- Das Warten auf den Bus ist total ödeWaiting for the bus is absolutely tedious
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Maximilian are discussing their new jobs at the office.
- SarahDie Dateneingabe im Büro ist sehr ermüdend.Data entry in the office is very tedious.
- MaximilianDas kann ich mir gar nicht vorstellen.I can't even imagine that.
- SarahEs ist wirklich eine monotone Arbeit.It is really a monotonous task.
- MaximilianViel Glück damit, Sarah.Good luck with that, Sarah.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tedious” translations and entries ermüdend, langweilig, nervtötend, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries langweilig, nervtötend, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
