Breakdown of Wir sind hier, um uns zu entspannen, aber das Gemeckere stört mich.
sein
to be
hier
here
aber
but
wir
we
mich
me
sich entspannen
to relax
stören
to disturb
um ... zu
in order to
das Gemeckere
the constant complaining
Questions & Answers about Wir sind hier, um uns zu entspannen, aber das Gemeckere stört mich.
How exactly is the word Gemeckere formed, and what does the Ge-...-e pattern do?
Gemeckere is formed by wrapping the circumfix Ge-...-e around the stem of the verb meckern (to complain or gripe). This grammatical pattern turns a verb into a neuter noun (always taking das) that describes a continuous, repetitive, and usually annoying action. It turns a simple action into "constant complaining."
Could I just say das Meckern instead of das Gemeckere?
You could, but it changes the nuance. Das Meckern is a standard nominalized verb (using the capitalized infinitive) and simply means "the complaining." Using the Ge-...-e structure specifically emphasizes that the action is ongoing, excessive, and highly irritating to the speaker.
Why is there an uns in the phrase um uns zu entspannen?
The verb for "to relax" in German is reflexive: sich entspannen. When you use an um ... zu (in order to) infinitive clause, you still have to include the reflexive pronoun that matches the implied subject. Since "we" (wir) are the ones relaxing, the pronoun must be uns.
Why does stören take the accusative mich here rather than the dative mir?
English speakers sometimes want to use the dative because they think of the phrase as "is bothersome to me." However, the German verb stören (to disturb, to bother) always takes a direct object in the accusative case. Therefore, it has to be stört mich.
Learn Wir sind hier, um uns zu entspannen, aber das Gemeckere stört mich 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