Breakdown of Ik erger me niet aan het weer.
ik
I
niet
not
het weer
the weather
aan
on / at (attached to, edge)
zich ergeren
to be annoyed
Questions & Answers about Ik erger me niet aan het weer.
Why is the word me in this sentence?
The verb here is zich ergeren (to get annoyed). It is a reflexive verb, meaning it requires a reflexive pronoun to be complete. Since the subject is ik (I), the matching reflexive pronoun is me. Literally, the structure is like saying 'I annoy myself'.
Why does the sentence use aan to mean 'by'?
In Dutch, many verbs are paired with a fixed preposition that you just have to memorize. The verb zich ergeren always goes with aan when you want to mention the thing that is annoying you: zich ergeren aan (to be annoyed by or at).
Why is niet placed after me rather than before it?
Reflexive pronouns like me stick very closely to the conjugated verb. In a standard main clause, the reflexive pronoun usually comes immediately after the verb. Because of this tight bond, the negative word niet has to wait its turn and is placed after me.
Is the verb ergeren related to the word erg?
Yes! The word erg means bad or awful, and erger means worse. The verb zich ergeren originally comes from the idea of making something worse, which evolved in modern Dutch to mean getting irritated or annoyed by something.
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