Learn Hardcore German: Das Geräusch kommt aus der Ferne.

German nouns have one of three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine or neuter. Geräusch is a neuter noun, so in the nominative (subject) position its definite article is das. You simply have to learn the gender of each noun along with the noun itself.

What part of speech is aus and why does it govern der Ferne?

aus is a preposition that always takes the dative case in German. Because Ferne is feminine, its dative singular form is der Ferne (the feminine dative article + noun).

Could I say von der Ferne or vom Ferne instead of aus der Ferne?

Although von (+ dative) also means “from,” aus is the preferred preposition for expressing origin out of something—especially with abstract locations like “afar.” vom is a contraction of von + dem, but since Ferne is feminine, von dem Ferne would be wrong anyway.

What’s the difference between aus der Ferne and in der Ferne?

Both can hint at distance, but:

aus der Ferne = “out of/from afar,” emphasizing the source or origin of the sound.
in der Ferne = “in the distance,” emphasizing where something is located.

How do I pronounce Geräusch and specifically the äu combination?

Geräusch is pronounced [ɡəˈʁɔɪ̯ʃ]. The äu makes the diphthong [ɔɪ̯], similar to the “oy” in English boy.

Why is kommt used here instead of another verb?

kommen in this context means “to come/emanate.” It’s an intransitive verb often used with aus to express that something (like a sound or smell) originates from somewhere. So Das Geräusch kommt aus der Ferne literally means “The sound comes from afar.”