How do you say Noise in German?

Whether it’s construction outside your window, loud music in the apartment above, or just the chaos of everyday life - noise in German is something you’ll definitely need to talk about.

The word is der Lärm. It’s masculine, and it doesn’t have a plural form. For help with German articles and gender, my gender video lesson explains it clearly and quickly.

Lärm is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and it’s particularly useful in urban settings, school environments, or whenever things get a little too loud.

Examples in all four cases:

Nominative:Der Lärm stört mich beim Arbeiten.The noise bothers me while working.

Accusative:Ich kann den Lärm nicht mehr ertragen.I can’t stand the noise anymore.

Dative:Mit dem Lärm muss man hier leben.You have to live with the noise here.

Genitive:Die Ursache des Lärms war ein kaputtes Auto.The cause of the noise was a broken-down car.

Real-World Tips for Learners

Lärm is the general word for disruptive, unpleasant, or loud sound. It’s typically used in complaints or warnings:

• Baulärm - construction noise

• Verkehrslärm - traffic noise

• Kinderlärm - noise from children (often controversial!)

• Lärmbelästigung - noise disturbance

• Lärm machen - to make noise

Unlike Geräusch, which can refer to any kind of sound (even pleasant ones), Lärm almost always has a negative connotation - unwanted or disruptive sound.