die Mühe
Translation
effort, trouble, pains, exertion
Examples
Das hat viel Mühe gekostet.
That took a lot of effort.
Gib dir mehr Mühe!
Make more of an effort!
Er machte sich die Mühe, alles zu erklären.
He took the trouble to explain everything.
Grammar Patterns
sich ((dat.)) Mühe geben to make an effort Gib dir mehr Mühe!
sich die Mühe machen, ((sth.)) zu tun to take the trouble to do (sth.) Er machte sich die Mühe, alles zu erklären.
es kostet ((sb.)) Mühe it takes (sb.) effort It costs me a lot of effort to learn German.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Anstrengung (effort), Aufwand (expenditure); Antonyms: Leichtigkeit (ease)
Etymology
From Old High German 'muoī', meaning 'trouble' or 'sorrow'.
Memory Tips
The sound 'Mühe' is like a groan you might make when doing something difficult.