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Questions & Answers about Stört dich der Lärm?
Who is the subject here, and what case is used for each word?
- Subject: der Lärm (nominative; “the noise” is doing the disturbing).
- Verb: stört (3rd person singular of stören, “to bother/disturb”).
- Direct object: dich (accusative; “you” as the person being bothered). Statement order would be: Der Lärm stört dich.
Why does the verb come first?
German yes/no questions use verb-first (V1) word order. The statement is Der Lärm stört dich. The yes/no question becomes Stört dich der Lärm?
Why is it dich and not dir?
Because stören takes the accusative: jemanden stören (“to bother someone”). Dir is dative and would be wrong here. Compare: helfen takes dative (e.g., ich helfe dir), but stören does not.
Can I say Stört der Lärm dich? instead?
Yes. Both Stört dich der Lärm? and Stört der Lärm dich? are correct. German often places unstressed pronouns like dich earlier, so the given version is very natural, but switching is fine.
What verb form is stört, and why that ending?
It’s 3rd person singular present (er/sie/es stört), matching the subject der Lärm. The infinitive is stören; conjugation: ich störe, du störst, er/sie/es stört, wir stören, ihr stört, sie/Sie stören.
Does stört cover both “does … bother” and “is … bothering” in English?
Yes. German present tense covers both simple and progressive aspects, so Stört dich der Lärm? can mean “Does the noise bother you?” or “Is the noise bothering you?”
How would I answer this question naturally?
- Yes: Ja, er stört mich. / Ja, ein bisschen. / Ja, ziemlich.
- No: Nein, er stört mich nicht. Note that der Lärm = masculine, so the pronoun is er (“he/it”).
How do I make it formal or address more than one person?
- Formal (to one or more people): Stört Sie der Lärm? (Do not use dative: “Stört Ihnen …?” is wrong.)
- Informal plural: Stört euch der Lärm?
Why is it der Lärm and not den Lärm?
Because der Lärm is the subject (nominative). Den Lärm would be accusative and would mark it as a direct object, which it isn’t here. The object is dich.
Can I drop the article and say Stört dich Lärm?
Possible but uncommon. Without the article it sounds like you’re asking about noise in general (“Does noise bother you (as a rule)?”). More idiomatic for that idea would be Stört dich Lärm generell? or Bist du lärmempfindlich? For a specific situation, keep the article: Stört dich der Lärm (hier)?
How do I negate it, and does nicht move?
- Neutral negation: Stört dich der Lärm nicht? (“Doesn’t the noise bother you?”)
- If you negate/focus the subject: Stört dich nicht der Lärm (sondern etwas anderes)? This second version suggests “Isn’t it the noise that bothers you (but something else)?”
What’s the difference between Lärm, Geräusch, and Krach?
- Lärm: loud, often unpleasant noise (mass noun).
- Geräusch: any sound/noise, neutral/technical; can be countable (ein Geräusch).
- Krach: colloquial for very loud racket; also means “argument” (Krach haben).
How do I pronounce stört, and what if I can’t type the umlaut?
- st at the start is like “sht”.
- ö is a rounded vowel like “oe” (say “eh” while rounding your lips).
- Roughly: “shtoert.”
- If you can’t type umlauts, write Stoert.
Is stören reflexive? Can I say Störst du dich am Lärm?
Not here. Stören is normally non‑reflexive and transitive: Der Lärm stört dich. There is a reflexive pattern sich (an etwas) stören, meaning “to take issue with/find fault with,” e.g., Er stört sich an Kleinigkeiten. It’s not the usual way to ask whether noise bothers you.
Can I front dich for emphasis: Dich stört der Lärm?
Yes, as an echo/surprised question or to emphasize the object: “The noise bothers you?” It’s stylistic emphasis, not the neutral way to ask.
Can I use tun like English “do” and say something like Tut dich der Lärm stören?
No. German doesn’t use tun for do-support in questions. The correct form is simply Stört dich der Lärm?