A man may bear till his back breaks.

The proverb presents endurance as something that can be exhausted. A person may keep bearing a heavy burden even as it brings them closer to collapse.

It also warns against mistaking continued patience for unlimited strength. What someone has managed to withstand so far may still become too much for them.

Use it when someone is expected to keep accepting hardship, work, or demands despite signs of strain. It can support a call to ease the burden before the person reaches a breaking point.