21 December 2025
How do you talk about disruption or disorder in German?
It’s what interrupts your internet, unsettles your mind, or throws a plan off track. In German, it’s die Störung. This is your German Word of the Day - technical, psychological, and useful across everything from phone calls to medical diagnoses.
The noun Störung means disruption, disturbance, or disorder, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. It shows up in tech support calls, psychology sessions, public service announcements, and everyday small talk.
It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Störung (not sure how to reliably pick the right article? Our video lesson makes it easy to remember them all).
Pronunciation
Störung is pronounced [ˈʃtøːʁʊŋ]
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Stö like “shtur” with a rounded German ö (as in schön)
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rung - short u, as in “put,” plus the ng of “sing”
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Stress on the first syllable: STÖrung
Example sentences
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Es gibt eine Störung im Stromnetz.There’s a disruption in the power grid.
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Sie leidet unter einer Angststörung.She suffers from an anxiety disorder.
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Wir bitten die Störung zu entschuldigen.We apologize for the inconvenience.
Nuance and usage tips
🛠️ Technical disruptions
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Netzstörung - network disruption
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Stromstörung - power disruption (a full outage is a Stromausfall)
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Signalstörung - signal failure (e.g., in trains)
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Funkstörung - radio interference
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Betriebsstörung - operational fault
🧠 Medical / psychological disorders
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Essstörung - eating disorder
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Angststörung - anxiety disorder
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Schlafstörung - sleep disorder
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Stimmstörung - voice disorder
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Verhaltensstörung - behavioral disorder
🗣️ Everyday language
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Störung im Ablauf - disturbance in the process
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jemanden stören - to bother or interrupt someone
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Ich hoffe, ich störe nicht. - I hope I’m not disturbing you.
Bitte nicht stören - Do not disturb
⚠️ Note: While Störung can be serious (as in mental health), it can also be casual or temporary - like a glitch.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
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“Entschuldigung für die Störung.”Sorry for the disturbance.
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“Seit gestern gibt es eine Störung beim WLAN.”There’s been a Wi-Fi issue since yesterday.
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“Sie wurde wegen einer Störung behandelt.”She received treatment for a disorder.
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Timo: Mein Handy hat keinen Empfang.Lara: Vielleicht ist das eine Störung im Netz.Timo: Kann sein. Ich ruf später nochmal an.Lara: Oder schick eine Nachricht - wenn’s wieder geht.
Translation:Timo: My phone has no signal.Lara: Maybe there’s a disruption in the network.Timo: Could be. I’ll try calling again later.Lara: Or send a message - once it’s working again.
Grammatical case examples
Nominative:Die Störung dauert schon den ganzen Tag.The disruption has lasted all day.
Accusative:Ich habe die Störung sofort gemeldet.I reported the disruption immediately.
Dative:Mit der Störung müssen wir jetzt umgehen.We have to deal with the disruption now.
Genitive:Die Ursache der Störung ist noch unklar.The cause of the disruption is still unclear.
Word variations and language tidbits
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Störungsmeldung - error report / fault notice
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Störungsbild - clinical picture of a disorder
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Störungshotline - support hotline for disruptions
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Funktionsstörung - malfunction
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Störungsempfindlichkeit - sensitivity to disruption (e.g. in electronics or health)
📡 Fun fact: In public transportation, you’ll often hear:„Wegen einer technischen Störung verspätet sich die Abfahrt um wenige Minuten.“(“Due to a technical issue, the departure is delayed by a few minutes.”)It’s almost a running joke in Germany - especially the classic Störung im Betriebsablauf (“disruption in operations”).
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Stoerung🎥 Want to fix your German Störungen? Our free video course teaches the 1000 most common nouns clearly and effectively - with grammar that runs glitch-free.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?Do you know what Sucht means? Sucht and Störung both occur in health-related vocabulary.And what about Song? A favorite one can lift your mood.
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