ertönen
to sound / ring out
The sudden or clear becoming audible of a noise, melody, or signal.
EXAMPLE
Als der Vorhang aufging, ertönte lauter Applaus im Theatersaal.
When the curtain went up, loud applause rang out in the theater hall.
ertönen
to sound / ring out
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Meanings
Usage tips
Inseparable verb
'Ertönen' (to sound/ring out) is an inseparable verb. The prefix 'er-' always remains attached to the stem 'tönen' (to sound). Here it signals the beginning or sudden occurrence of a sound.
EXAMPLE
Plötzlich ertönte ein lauter Knall.
Suddenly, a loud bang rang out.
Perfect tense with 'sein'
The perfect tense of 'ertönen' (to sound/ring out) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'sein' (to be). The reason is that the verb describes a change of state—from silence to sound.
EXAMPLE
Pünktlich um zwölf Uhr ist die Sirene ertönt.
Right at twelve o'clock, the siren sounded.
Sentence structure
The subject of the verb 'ertönen' (to sound/ring out) is always the sound itself or the source of the sound. People or animals cannot 'ertönen'.
EXAMPLE
Aus der Ferne ertönte leise Musik.
Soft music sounded from the distance.
Typical subjects
Common subjects for this verb are signals and sounds. Typical examples are: a signal, a melody, a call, applause, a bell, or a siren.
EXAMPLE
Als der Sieger ins Ziel kam, ertönte die Nationalhymne.
When the winner reached the finish line, the national anthem rang out.
Compare with
ertönen vs klingen
to sound
Klingen usually describes an audible sound or the way it is perceived. Ertönen, by contrast, emphasizes that a noise, melody, or signal suddenly or clearly becomes audible. Use klingen for the nature of the sound and ertönen for the moment it begins.
ertönen
Plötzlich ertönt der Alarm im Gebäude.
Suddenly, the alarm sounds throughout the building.
klingen
Der Alarm klingt schrill und laut.
The alarm sounds shrill and loud.
In real life
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