Breakdown of Die Hausverwaltung, die kümmert sich jetzt um die Ruhestörung.
jetzt
now
sich kümmern
to take care of
um
about (concerning)
die Hausverwaltung
the property management
die Ruhestörung
the disturbance of the peace
Questions & Answers about Die Hausverwaltung, die kümmert sich jetzt um die Ruhestörung.
Why is there a second die after the comma?
This is a feature of spoken German called 'left dislocation.' The speaker wants to emphasize die Hausverwaltung (the property management), so they state it first as a standalone topic. Then, they start the actual sentence with a pronoun (die) that points back to it. It is similar to saying 'The property management, they...' in English.
Why use die as the pronoun instead of sie?
In left dislocation, you must use a demonstrative pronoun (der, die, das, etc.) to point back to the topicalized noun, not a regular personal pronoun like sie. Even outside of this specific structure, spoken German frequently uses die instead of sie to mean 'she' or 'they' because it sounds more direct and natural in conversation.
Why do we use the preposition um here?
The reflexive verb sich kümmern (to take care of / to look after) always pairs with the preposition um followed by the accusative case. Therefore, 'taking care of the noise disturbance' becomes sich kümmern um die Ruhestörung.
What exactly does Ruhestörung mean here?
Die Ruhestörung literally translates to 'disturbance of the peace.' In the context of German apartment living, it is the standard, somewhat formal term for a noise complaint, such as neighbors playing loud music or having a party during official quiet hours.
Learn Die Hausverwaltung, die kümmert sich jetzt um die Ruhestörung and more in German
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free