Die Klingel an der Haustür ist laut.

Breakdown of Die Klingel an der Haustür ist laut.

sein
to be
laut
loud
an
at
die Haustür
the front door
die Klingel
the doorbell
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning German now

Questions & Answers about Die Klingel an der Haustür ist laut.

Which case does an take in an der Haustür, and why?
  • an is a two-way preposition.
  • Location (where?) → dative: an der Haustür.
  • Direction (to where?) → accusative: an die Haustür.

Examples:

  • Sie wartet an der Haustür. (dative, location)
  • Er geht an die Haustür. (accusative, motion toward)
Why der and not dem or die in an der Haustür?
  • Haustür is feminine singular.
  • Dative feminine singular article is der.
  • dem is dative for masculine/neuter; die is nominative/accusative for feminine and plural.
What are the genders and plurals of Klingel and Haustür?
  • die Klingel → plural: die Klingeln
  • die Haustür → plural: die Haustüren (note the umlaut in the plural)
Can I say Türklingel or Klingelknopf? How do these differ from Glocke?
  • die Türklingel: explicitly a doorbell (perfectly fine here).
  • die Klingel: a small bell device (doorbell, bike bell, etc.).
  • der Klingelknopf: the bell button.
  • die Glocke: a bell in general, often larger (church bell); not the usual word for a modern doorbell.

You could say: Die Türklingel an der Haustür ist laut.

Why is laut not laute here?
  • After a linking verb like sein, adjectives stay uninflected: ist laut.
  • Adjective endings appear before a noun: Die laute Klingel an der Haustür …
Can I move an der Haustür to another position?

Yes, as long as the finite verb stays in second position:

  • Die Klingel an der Haustür ist laut. (neutral)
  • An der Haustür ist die Klingel laut. (emphasis on location)
  • Die Klingel ist an der Haustür laut. (odd unless you contrast locations, as if it’s loud there but not elsewhere)
Can an der be contracted to am here?

No. am = an dem (masculine/neuter dative). Haustür is feminine, so you must use an der. Compare: am Haus (neuter) vs. an der Haustür (feminine).

How do I pronounce the key words?
  • Klingel: [ˈklɪŋəl] — ng = [ŋ], final -el is a schwa-like syllable.
  • Haustür: [ˈhaʊ̯sˌtyːɐ̯] — au like English “ow”; ü is a rounded “ee”.
  • laut: [laʊ̯t].

Tip for ü: say English “ee” while rounding your lips.

What’s the difference between ist laut and klingelt laut?
  • ist laut: describes a general property of the bell (it’s loud).
  • klingelt laut: describes an action/event (when it rings, it rings loudly; or it is ringing loudly right now).
Can I use other prepositions instead of an?
  • an der Haustür: on/at the door (typically attached).
  • bei der Haustür: near/by the door (in the vicinity).
  • vor der Haustür: in front of the door (on the outside side).
Does Haustür always mean the front door?
Usually yes: the main entrance of a house or apartment building. In apartment buildings, Haustür is the building’s main door; your individual apartment door is the Wohnungstür. Vordertür/Hintertür specify front/back entrances.
Why is Haustür one word and capitalized?
German compounds are written as one word: Haus + TürHaustür. All nouns are capitalized (Klingel, Haustür), while adjectives like laut are lowercase.
How do I negate this sentence?
  • Die Klingel an der Haustür ist nicht laut. (not loud)
  • Or: Die Klingel an der Haustür ist leise. (quiet) Nuance: nicht laut is a neutral negation; leise positively asserts quietness.
How do I form the comparative and superlative of laut?
  • Comparative: lauter
  • Superlative: am lautesten / attributive die lauteste … Examples:
  • Die Klingel … ist lauter als unsere.
  • Das ist die lauteste Klingel im Haus.
What changes if I talk about more than one bell?
  • Plural subject: Die Klingeln an der Haustür sind laut.
  • Dative plural takes -n: an den Haustüren. Example: Die Klingeln an den Haustüren sind laut.
Are there any tricky alternate meanings of laut?
Yes. laut can also mean “according to”: laut Gesetz / laut dem Gesetz. This is unrelated to the adjective laut meaning “loud.”
Why not use an die Haustür here?
an die is accusative (motion toward). The sentence states a location, so you use dative: an der Haustür. Use an die Haustür with motion: Er geht an die Haustür.
Do I have to use die? What about eine?
  • die points to a specific, known bell (normal when there’s one at that door).
  • eine introduces a new/unspecified bell and sounds odd without context: Eine Klingel an der Haustür ist laut. More natural if contrasting multiple bells: An diesem Haus ist eine Klingel an der Haustür laut, die andere ist leise.
I’ve seen Haustüre—is that correct?
Yes. Haustüre is a regional/older variant (common in Austria, southern Germany, Switzerland). Standard everywhere is Haustür, but both are understood.