belästigen
to bother
To disturb someone, be a nuisance to them, or address them in an unwanted way.
EXAMPLE
Bitte belästigen Sie mich nicht mit Werbeanrufen.
Please don't bother me with advertising calls.
belästigen
to bother / harass
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Meanings
belästigen
to harass
To pressure someone in an intrusive, unpleasant, or threatening way, especially with sexual intent.
EXAMPLE
Sie hat ihren Vorgesetzten wegen sexueller Belästigung am Arbeitsplatz angezeigt.
She reported her supervisor for sexual harassment at work.
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'belästigen' (to bother/harass) is related to the noun 'die Last' (burden) and the adjective 'lästig' (annoying). So it literally means to become a burden to someone.
EXAMPLE
Seine ständigen Anrufe waren für alle sehr lästig.
His constant calls were very annoying for everyone.
Sentence structure with preposition
To say what someone is being disturbed with, use the preposition 'mit' followed by the dative. The person being disturbed is always in the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Der Nachbar belästigt uns jeden Abend mit lauter Musik.
The neighbor bothers us every evening with loud music.
Fixed combination
The meaning of sexual harassment is often made clear by the adverb 'sexuell' (sexually). The combination 'sexuell belästigen' (to sexually harass) is a fixed expression in legal and social contexts.
EXAMPLE
Sie fühlte sich von den anzüglichen Kommentaren sexuell belästigt.
She felt sexually harassed by the suggestive comments.
Compare with
belästigen vs stören
to disturb / bother
Stören and belästigen can both refer to an unwanted interruption. Stören also works for a brief, relatively minor intrusion. Belästigen usually sounds stronger and suggests intrusive or repeated behavior.
belästigen
Ein Kollege belästigte mich bei der Arbeit immer wieder mit persönlichen Fragen.
A colleague repeatedly bothered me at work with personal questions.
stören
Ein Kollege störte mich kurz bei der Arbeit mit einer Frage.
A colleague briefly disturbed me at work with a question.
In real life
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