Breakdown of Zuerst verstummt sie vor Schreck.
sie
she
zuerst
first
vor
out of / from (cause)
der Schreck
the shock
Questions & Answers about Zuerst verstummt sie vor Schreck.
Why do we use vor here instead of aus to mean 'from'?
In German, vor is used for sudden, involuntary physical or emotional reactions that you cannot control (like falling silent from shock, or shaking from fear). aus is used when an emotion is the motive for a deliberate action (like helping someone out of pity). Since her reaction is automatic, vor is the correct choice.
Why is there no article before Schreck?
When vor or aus are used to show the emotional cause of an action, the emotion noun almost always takes a "zero article" (no article at all). This is a set pattern, so you say vor Schreck rather than vor dem Schreck.
How is the verb verstummen formed?
It is built from the adjective stumm, which means "mute" or "silent". The inseparable prefix ver- is often used in German to indicate a change of state. Together, verstummen means "to become silent" or "to fall silent".
Why is the word order verstummt sie instead of sie verstummt?
This is because of the strict "verb-second" rule in German main clauses. Since the adverb Zuerst (first) occupies the first position, the verb verstummt must be in the second position. That forces the subject sie (she) to move directly after the verb.