der Lärm
noise
A loud, strong sound, or a mixture of many sounds, often perceived as unpleasant.
EXAMPLE
Der Lärm von der Baustelle nebenan macht mich wahnsinnig.
The noise from the construction site next door is driving me crazy.
der Lärm
noise
Checking...
Loading your saved state.
Meanings
viel Lärm um nichts
much ado about nothing
An idiom that means a lot of excitement or fuss is being made about an unimportant matter.
EXAMPLE
Die ganze Diskussion war am Ende nur viel Lärm um nichts.
In the end, the whole discussion was just much ado about nothing.
Usage tips
Uncountable noun
'Lärm' (noise) is an uncountable noun and is almost always used in the singular. You therefore say 'viel Lärm' (a lot of noise) or 'wenig Lärm' (little noise), but not 'viele Lärme'.
EXAMPLE
Könnt ihr bitte weniger Lärm machen?
Could you please make less noise?
Word family
The verb 'lärmen' (to make a lot of noise) is derived from the noun 'der Lärm' (noise). There is also the adjective 'lärmend' (noisy).
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder lärmen im Garten.
The children are making noise in the garden.
Typical collocations
Common verbs used with 'Lärm' (noise) are 'Lärm machen' (to make noise), 'Lärm verursachen' (to cause noise), and 'sich über Lärm beschweren' (to complain about noise). Noise is also often described with adjectives such as 'laut' (loud), 'unerträglich' (unbearable), or 'ständig' (constant).
EXAMPLE
Die Nachbarn haben sich über den nächtlichen Lärm beschwert.
The neighbors complained about the nighttime noise.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'viel Lärm um nichts' (much ado about nothing) is a fixed unit. It is used to express that a situation is less important than the excitement around it suggests.
EXAMPLE
Die Sorge war unbegründet, es war nur viel Lärm um nichts.
The concern was unfounded; it was just much ado about nothing.
Compare with
Lärm vs Geräusch
noise / sound
Both words refer to something audible. „Das Geräusch“ remains neutral and does not give any definite information about volume or whether it is disturbing, whereas „der Lärm“ describes a loud and usually unpleasant sound. Use „Geräusch“ for a neutral description and „Lärm“ when the sound is a burden.
Lärm
Der Lärm von der Baustelle stört die Anwohner seit früh am Morgen.
The noise from the construction site has been disturbing the residents since early morning.
Geräusch
Ich hörte ein seltsames Geräusch aus dem Keller, konnte es aber nicht zuordnen.
I heard a strange sound coming from the basement, but I couldn't identify it.
In real life
Loading video examples...